


Death & the Girl 2

by PockyCookie



Category: Bandom, Black Veil Brides, Iron Maiden (Band), Judas Priest, Megadeth, Motionless in White (Band)
Genre: Death, Demons, F/M, Ghosts, Soulmates
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-12
Updated: 2021-02-28
Packaged: 2021-03-01 23:41:10
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 24,395
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23615386
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PockyCookie/pseuds/PockyCookie
Summary: Junko Misaki died, or she would have done had she not sold her very soul to live again. Her entire life will never be the same. The continuation of Death & the Girl.
Relationships: Dave Mustaine/Original Female Character(s)
Kudos: 13





	1. Chapter 1

Thank you all for reading. I hope you will continue to read this story as more parts come out. I couldn't wait to post the first part so here it comes.


	2. Afterlife 1

Weightless. That's how my body felt. It felt like I was floating, like I was formless. I had no idea where I was. Had I died? That must have been what had happened. It was the only possible answer. If I was dead though, how come I could hear things outside my body. I could hear voices. The voices always sounded so close and so familiar.

One day I heard someone crying, felt a hand in mine. I wanted to wake up so badly. Time seemed to tick by and for some reason my body felt heavy. My eyes opened and I was in a white, sterile room. It took me a few minutes to realise I was in The NetherWorld infirmary.

Why was I here? My body ached. I started to sit up, very slowly so I didn't over stress my body. It hurt to move, but I needed to do this. I focused on sitting to begin with. When I did, a memory surged through my mind, unbidden.

I had been injured in the cemetery in Windham. My hands instinctively clutched my chest where the arrow had pierced. I whimpered and glanced downwards. I was wearing a hospital gown, white and starched. I pulled the collar forward and peeked down at my chest. There was no wound, nothing to show I'd been injured.

My hands rested on my legs and I gulped. Had I really been injured or was it a dream? The Mothman's warning came into my mind. A decision had to be made. Had I made the decision?

Now was the time to stand and see if there was anyone around. My legs protested and felt like jello. I used the bed as leverage and ambled round it towards the wall. A mirror was hanging there, stretched across the far wall. I needed to see my face, to know I was alive.

Touching the mirror with my clammy hands, I saw my own pale face staring back at me. My hair was slightly longer, but it must have been a while since Alissa cut it. I remembered Alissa, then I remembered my team. Where were they? Had they been here? Were they somewhere around? My gaze flicked back to the mirror and that's when I noticed something new.

A band of black around my neck, like a tattoo. I licked my thumb and rubbed the band, trying and failing to smudge it. Water, I needed water. There was a sink across the way. I shuffled over and turned on the tap. Wetting my hands, I rubbed my neck. I used the hand towels on the wall to dry my hands and neck.

It was easier to move by now so I ambled back to the mirror to see the black band was still there. Frustration met panic in a war, but I swallowed my nerves. I just needed to find someone to help me.

"Junko?" A soft voice came from behind me.

I turned and saw Ariana standing in the archway. Her long hair was down this time, trailing past her shoulders. She was wearing a large jumper and boots. Her lips were parted in silent shock. From this distance, I saw her eyes well with unshed tears. She was across the room in seconds, hugging me tightly.

"You're OK," She sobbed. "I was so scared, couldn't heal you, the only way to save you."

Her words blurred together and I finally hugged her back. She pulled away to look at me. Normally we were roughly the same height, but in her boots she was a little taller.

"What happened?" I asked.

She looked scared and then sighed, resolutely.

"Do you remember the mission in Windham?" She asked.

"Yes, we went to the cemetery." I confirmed, and she nodded.

"Charlie betrayed us, he was with Derek Samuels." She continued.

I remembered Charlie's betrayal in all it's vivid detail. My heart burned. How could he? Why would he do that?

"What happened to Charlie? Has he been punished?" I badgered her.

"He's being held in Lucifer's castle dungeon," She said. "He was the one who poisoned Chris."

"And Derek Samuels?" I asked.

"Dead. Killed by Death after you..." She paused like she'd said too much.

Death. I had to see him. He must have saved me in some way. Ariana still seemed hesitant, but I had to see Death and my team.

"Where are my team?" I asked.

She smiled then and it made me feel slightly better about the whole situation.

"They visited you everyday," She said. "Death stayed with you constantly."

"Please can I see them?" I begged.

Ariana nodded and disappeared for a minute. She came back with a blue dressing gown and a pair of white slippers. The dressing gown was soft and I put it on, doing it up using the tassels. I put the slippers on my bare feet. Ariana smiled and took my hand. We walked through the building that I realised was a Legion House.

As we got to the foyer I could hear voices. Lemmy walked round the corner and when he saw me, he smiled widely. He then reached out and hugged me. It was very uncharacteristic of him, but I accepted.

"Never ever go away again, kid." He said.

"I'll try not to." I said, patting his back.

He pulled away and his eyes flicked to the mark on my neck. He seemed to realise he was staring and cleared his throat, awkwardly.

"I'll see you after I've got some whisky." He grinned, holding a glass and side stepping up the corridor.

The foyer was slightly busier than usual. A few demons loitered around and whispered to each other when they saw me. I realised I must have looked stupid in the hospital attire. We got to the door and Ariana opened it.

The NetherWorld was as vibrant as ever. Demons were training or sitting together. Some were heading out on missions. A few stopped and glanced at me. The whispering followed me as Ariana led me round the back to the training area.

"Why is everyone whispering?" I asked her.

Her eyes went wide for a minute then she regained her usual composed demeanor and smiled.

"Probably just surprised to see you're awake." She said.

I heard Andy first and he saw me first and broke into a huge grin.

"Well, look who finally woke up." He shouted.

He had been speaking to Pestilence, who turned and before I could do anything, he hugged me, tighter than Ariana had.

"Junko, thank Lucifer you're awake." Pestilence said.

I smiled and he let me go. He removed his sunglasses and patted my shoulder, but very softly so I wouldn't stumble.

"Junko?" I turned and saw War and Famine walking over.

I was so happy to see them that I stumbled over and hugged them both. I would never take being alive for granted again. I got to see my friends again and it felt like an amazing dream. War let go first.

"I'll go get Death." He smiled, and turned.

I watched him then turned to Famine. He looked so relieved to see me.

"How long was I asleep?" I asked.

He frowned then looked to Pestilence, who scratched his chin.

"It must have been two weeks." He said, and Famine nodded along.

"Yeah, two weeks." Famine confirmed.

Two weeks!? My mind span and I couldn't believe I'd been asleep for so long. I glanced up in time to see War walking back, followed by Death. When he saw me, he walked past War, out walking him and hugged me, lifting me off my feet.

I smiled and closed my eyes, wrapping my arms over his shoulders, clinging onto him and not wanting to let go. My eyes stung and a few fresh tears leaked out. Death set me back down and pulled back to look at me.

"I think you saved me again." I said, wiping my eyes.

"Yeah, I guess I did." He replied.

I noticed a tattoo on the back of his. A snake eating its own tail in the shape of an eight. I frowned at it and he noticed.

"We match." He said, smirking.

"W-we do." I replied, looking at my hands.

He sighed and took my hand, guiding it to my neck. To the spot where the black mark was. I touched the skin and took a steadying breath.

"I hope she doesn't freak out." I heard Andy say.

"W-what is this mark?" I asked.

"You were dying," Death said. "Do you remember what I asked you before you passed out?"

I searched my memories and closed my eyes. The moment before I passed out and he had asked me a question. Asked me if I wanted to live then I should say yes and I had said yes. I opened my eyes again and took another shuddering breath.

"Am I? Do you own my soul?" I asked.

"Yes." He replied.

My mind reeled and I realised I was like Evangeline. A few more tears leaked out. Death noticed and pulled me closer.

"I think you and I need to talk." He murmured.

"Go ahead." I replied.

"In private." He chuckled.

"Cool with me." I whispered.

Andy led Ariana away. The other three horsemen followed. I felt like my panic was spiraling out of control. What was going to happen now? Death walked towards one of the alcoves and sat down. I stood in front of him. We were eye to eye now.

"What happens now?" I asked.

"We carry on like normal," He said, and when he noticed my panic, he caressed my face. "Where we left off."

"O-oh OK," I replied. "I know that Eric has Evangeline's soul."

Death nodded and when he didn't say anything I continued on with my weird logic anyways.

"Evangeline wears a collar and does what Eric says and-"

Death pressed his thumb to lips to stop my rambling. His hazel eyes locked with mine and he traced his thumb across my lips, gently.

"You don't have to wear a collar," He said, softly. "You aren't a dog."

I nodded and a few more tears leaked out. Death sighed and moved his hand up to brush away the stray tears.

"You don't have to do as I say," He brushed his thumb across my cheek, seemingly memorizing my face. "We're a couple, not some weird dictatorship."

I smiled despite the tears. His lips quirked into the smile I loved so much. I reached up slowly and touched his face, then recoiled when I realised.

"Why'd you stop?" He asked.

"I didn't want to be a nuisance." I replied.

"I mean, you are a nuisance," He laughed when I playfully slapped his arm. "I guess you're my nuisance."

"And you're my nuisance too." I smiled.

"You could have said handsome, smart." He said.

"And modest too." I replied.

"Oh my God, look who's alive."

We both looked round to see Devin standing on the grass. He was smiling. He was definitely going to be loud and outrageous.

"To be continued." Death murmured near my ear.

"To be continued." I replied.

"Awww, is that you guys 'I love you?'" Devin gushed.

Ricky appeared next to Devin and offered me a smile. He glanced at Devin and rolled his eyes. He parted his lips to ask how I was.

"You two haven't even said I love you and you're soul bonded, my God." Devin continued.

"Devin, calm down," Ricky snapped, then looked at me. His eyes didn't linger on the mark on my neck. "How're you, Junko?"

"Pretty good." I replied.

Devin nudged Ricky, "We should have a party for you, Junko."

"No, I don't want to cause a fuss." I replied, blushing.

"It's not trouble. I'll go let Lemmy know." Devin continued, and bustled past Ricky without a second thought.

"Guess we're having a party then." Ricky sighed, and followed.

***************************

I ended up back at my room, staring at my pink bedspread. I felt a little nervous about being alone now. I didn't want to be alone. My mind replayed everything that happened with Derek Samuels and Charlie. I sucked in a nervous breath and walked towards the button on the wall.

My hand hovered over it and I pressed it, waiting for the knock on the door. I opened the door and was face to face with a servant demon. It was tall and covered in scales like a weird crocodile. I managed a smile and fiddled with my dress that I'd changed into.

"H-hi," I managed. The demon grunted. "C-can you move my bedding and clothing out of this room to room 18?"

The demon nodded and lumbered past me. I helped it load my clothes into a suitcase. My entire lot of clothing fit into one suitcase, my whole life. I folded the pink bedspread and bundled it under my arm. I left the room and locked the door, leaving the key on the side.

I walked up the next flight of stairs and stopped outside my destination, tapping gently on the door. I heard shuffling inside and the door opened. Death stood in the entry.

"Can I be invited in?" I asked.

"Of course." He smiled.

He stepped aside and let me in. The servant demon dumped my suitcase inside the door. I was still holding my pink bedspread. Death shut the door and came to sit on his bed.

"S-since we're a couple and such?" I rambled. Death raised a brow. "I-i was thinking we could share a room permanently, unless you don't want to and I've just over stepped my boundaries like a dummy and-"

Death had leaned forward, pressed his thumb against my lips again. He smirked and grabbed my hand, pulling me closer.

"That's fine with me." He replied.

I smiled again. I guessed this would be my life from now on. We could work out all the other details at a later date, but for now I was happy.


	3. Afterlife 2

I wanted advice about being soulless, or whatever I was. Visiting Eric's Legion house was not up there on my list of great ways to spend the afternoon, but I had to see Evangeline. She would know what to say and how I should cope. When I opened the door to the Legion house, it was empty. I half expected to see Ariana seated on the window seat as she was when we first met.

I heard the sound of footsteps clicking against the floor and glanced sideways to see the blonde girl from before walking towards me. She faltered when she saw me, but recovered quickly.

"Well, if it isn't the human," She smirked. "I'm sorry I forgot you're no longer even human. How's it feel to belong, body and soul, to Death?"

Her red lips formed a smile and she laughed. Did she think I hated it? It would take some getting used to, but I didn't mind.

"It's OK, I...um, like Death, a lot." I replied, and she paused again.

I wasn't going to tell her that I loved him when I hadn't even told him that yet, but this girl seemed to guess it.

"You love him, don't you?" She sounded curious now.

"Do you know where Evangeline is?" I asked, willing to change the subject.

"Usually in Eric's office," She replied. "I can take you."

I nodded and followed her lead. We started the journey in relative silence until she broke it.

"I'm Taylor, by the way," She said. "Just in case Ari didn't tell you."

"It's nice to meet you, Taylor." I said, and she managed a smile.

We stopped at a door and she knocked. A gruff voice shouted from inside and she opened the door. With that, Taylor left. I watched her depart and entered the room.

Eric was seated at his desk. His office was grand and lavishly decorated. His grin widened when he saw me in the doorway.

"Well, if it isn't the little human." He chuckled.

I went to correct him, but he raised a hand and his face became somber for a moment.

"Listen to me, human. I know what happened at that cemetery, know that you're like my Evangeline," He paused, clearing his throat. "Despite my feelings about your kind, I'm happy you survived."

I blinked dumbly at the sentiment. Eric looked uncomfortable displaying such emotions and his face slipped back into a mask of haughty arrogance.

"Thank you," I murmured. "Could I ask Evangeline about some stuff regarding this situation."

Eric sighed and nodded. He leaned forward, pressing a button on his desk. A bell rang out and the whole thing made me feel a little sick. Would I answer to a bell? My stomach twisted in knots. No, Death said I was not a slave.

The door opened and Evangeline appeared. She was wearing a baby blue dress that was laced and high necked. The dress finished way above her knees and I could see the white thigh high stockings she was wearing. She bowed to Eric and he nodded.

"Evangeline, Junko would like to ask some questions of you," He said. "Do you consent?"

Evangeline glanced at me. Her eyes went to my neck and she smiled widely. She said yes very quickly. Eric stood up and rounded the table, walking past me and towards the door.

"I shall leave you two to speak, make yourselves comfortable." He said, then left, shutting the door with a click.

I glanced at Evangeline and she hugged me. What was it with everyone hugging me? She let go and motioned for me to sit on the couch. I obeyed and she sat next to me. I noticed her collar was blue like her ensemble.

"I am so pleased you and I are a match." She gushed.

"Y-yes, it's nice, I guess." I smiled, nervously.

"Ask me all the questions you have and I will answer to the best of my ability." Evangeline said.

I tried to form all the questions into order in my mind. What to go for first?

"C-can I still visit the human world and see my human friends?" I asked.

"You may do that. There is a capsule you must take, all demons take it and it allows them to be corporeal so that humans may view them. The capsule lasts until you return here." She replied.

"Do I have to dress like you?" I blurted out and regretted it immediately.

"Do you like it?" Evangeline smiled. "I wear such things to please my Mas-I mean, Eric."

"Should I wear such things?" I asked, blushing.

"If you wish to, but wear what makes you happy." She replied, and I was stunned.

I had been under the impression that Eric made her wear all this stuff. When we first met she had said the collar was a symbol of her being soulless, but now I realised she was referring to the mark under the collar.

"Do you love Eric?" I asked.

"Yes, he and I are made for each other." She responded.

"I love Death." I confessed, and she touched her hand to mine.

"Of course you do. You're made for each other." Her answer was so simple and so profound. I looked away.

I wanted to ask about special powers in this form. Evangeline answered all my questions with grace and kindness. As for if I had powers, I had the same powers as an angel. Evangeline went through all the details regarding this and I listened, raptly. I narrowed my eyes once she'd finished and wondered if I could ask questions about Eric's tumultuous relationship with Chris.

"What happened with Eric and Sabrina? Is it OK to ask?" I said, and Evangeline seemed to be thinking.

"It was before my time, but Eric has discussed it with me." She replied.

I waited to see what she'd say and she glanced around in case anyone was listening.

"Eric loved Sabrina too. She and Eric met many times, but she couldn't take the guilt and cut her contract with Chris." Evangeline whispered.

I got up and thanked Evangeline and left. I shouldn't have asked that stuff. It wasn't my business anymore. Everyone thought Eric had forced himself on Sabrina, but it had been mutual. I left the Legion house and sat on the grass. I toyed with the grass and sighed.

"Why so glum, party girl?" Devin had appeared next to me.

I looked at him. I didn't want to discuss all this with him. It seemed like a well kept secret. It made me realise that Sabrina has falsely said that Eric had attacked her and I was the only person apart from Eric and Evangeline that knew the truth.

"No reason," I mumbled then looked at the pinata under his arm. "Please tell me that is not for my party."

"It is. I've read that humans love party games." He grinned.

"Yeah kids love party games." I replied.

"Well, it's good there are no kids because I've filled this with some pretty good stuff if you know what I'm saying." He smirked.

I stared at the innocent looking pinata. What had Devin filled it with? My mind stumbled over itself. Before I could ask, Devin tapped his nose and hurried away.

***********************

I was fine with the whole party thing. What made it not OK was that I was in Chris' Legion house and I had just discovered some stuff that made me so anxious, it was like a whole hoard of bees were in my tummy.

There were a lot of demons here. Eric had even decided to show up. I was lost on why though. Devin was across the way, trying to get people to hit that cursed pinata.

"Devin sure wants someone to hit that weird goat thing." War said.

"It's a pinata," I said, sipping my drink. "There's usually sweets in them."

"Will there be sweets in that one?" Pestilence asked.

"I honestly don't think so." I replied.

This was really nice. Being with my team again made me feel so safe. Death was next to me, hand clutching mine. Every so often his thumb would trace little circles over my knuckles. It made me feel less tense.

"Look, Ashley's going to open the pinata." War said.

I glanced over. Ashley looked nervous, like she'd been persuaded to eat an entire porcupine. We all watched, ready for the weirdness to happen.

"And I just hit it?" Ashley asked.

"Yep, go for it." Devin grinned.

Ashley held the baton and hit the pinata. It cracked and a load of unmentionable things fell out, vibrating things. Ashley yelped and stepped back in abject horror.

"Devin!" She yelled.

"You win." Devin laughed.

A few of the demons were laughing. In fact, a lot of demons were laughing. My face went a million shades of red, knowing I'd have to figure out a way to explain this.

"Do you guys need to know what those are?" I asked.

"Nope." War replied.

Thank goodness for that. I needed some fresh air. I left the Legion house and sat on the porch for a few minutes, trying not to think about Devin and his vibrating pinata of terror. I barely heard the door open and jumped when someone sat next to me.

"Good Evening, Junko." Chris was next to me.

The very demon I didn't want to see. He looked kind of tired, but managed a small smile at me. It was strange seeing him, normally Gaia would be with him.

"Hey, how're you?" I asked.

"I feel like I should be asking you that question." He replied.

"Yeah, I'm OK. Happy to be back." I said, and he nodded.

We sat in silence for a few minutes. This was the longest amount of time we'd spent together since splitting up.

"How's things with you and Gaia?" I smiled, attempting normal conversation.

"She and I don't see eye to eye. She's upstairs at the moment." He clarified.

"That sucks." I responded because I guessed it did suck.

"I regret ending things with you," He said, suddenly. "If I could go back I would, especially after everything that happened to you."

I stood up and put some space between us. For some reason I felt a well of fury rise up in me. How dare he say this stuff to me. I had spent time getting over him and had felt constant guilt for moving on, whereas he seemed to have no reservations about moving on at all. He had left me and I felt the urge to tell him what I knew about Sabrina, just to spite him. It was on the tip of my tongue, but I pushed it back.

"I don't think you should be telling me these things." I said, going for coldness.

"Junko, please understand," He said. "I'm not asking for you back. I understand the mistake I made and I just want you to be happy."

I faltered in my fury and nodded. A part of me longed for him to be happy too, but I knew it wouldn't be with me.

"Are there divorce lawyers in The NetherWorld?" I asked, jokingly.

"There should be," He chuckled. "But Gaia is with child now so I don't think that's an option."

"Congratulations, I guess." I smiled, and he sighed.

The door opened and noise leaked out. I turned round to see Ariana and my team. Ariana looked uncomfortable. They all looked noticeably perturbed.

"I'm going to go to bed." Ariana said, shutting the door.

"What has Devin done now?" Chris asked.

"Nothing too weird, just handing out sex toys." War laughed.

I frowned and Chris sighed, standing up and dusting himself off. He walked to the door and opened it. Ariana walked over and hugged me goodnight.

"Missions start as soon as I've helped you train." She smiled, pulling back and walking away.

We walked back to Lemmy's house and parted ways. Death and I walked up the stairs towards our room. It felt weird thinking it was our room now, but it felt right. I still felt nervous though and sat on the bed. Death sat next to me. 

"Did you wonder where I'd gone earlier?" I asked.

"I thought you might have needed some air." He replied.

"I'm sorry. I didn't expect Chris to come outside." I said. I was still reeling from my conversation with Evangeline. 

"I trust you after all you trust me." He said.

It was true. I did trust him so much. He had saved my life so many times and the thought made me smile. Was now the right time to be honest? Should I tell him how I felt? I shifted slightly to look at him and faltered. 

"Turn around, I have to tell you something." I said, blushing. 

"And it's so important that you can't look at me." He chuckled. 

"No, it's just I'm nervous." I rambled.

I was surprised when he complied, turning his body slightly. I really wanted to reach out and touch his hair. I resisted the urge and toyed with my sweaty hands. 

"The last time I said this, something bad happened," I said, sadly, but sighed and continued. "First of all, thanks for saving me and Iloveyou."

Death shifted back round to look at me. I suddenly felt incredibly vulnerable. It mattered how he felt, it mattered more than words could say and I waited for the rejection. 

"Don't feel like you have to say it back. I'll be fine." I choked out. A few tears slipped down my cheeks.

"So dramatic." He chuckled and shifted closer.

His hand touched my cheek and lifted my face to meet his gaze. Little sparks of electric danced where his fingers touched.

"When we first met, I honestly just wanted to mess with you," He said, and I felt pain well up in me. "And I did mess with you. A lot. You were annoying and yet, I really liked you. I wanted to protect you, wanted to be the only one that could protect you."

I managed a feeble smile at that. He had protected me so many times and I swallowed a nervous breath as his thumb traced my cheek. 

"And now I get to be the only one for you," He smiled, then leaned closer, his breath fanned my ear and sent little frissons of electric up my spine. "I wouldn't have done it if I didn't love you."

He pulled back, smirking. I blinked dumbly and realised he had said he loved me. His usual arrogant demeanor returned. 

"Thank you." I mumbled.

"And with that, this business transaction is complete," He grinned. "So formal."

I opened my mouth to protest when he stood up and stretched. His t-shirt lifted slightly to reveal the skin on his stomach. My face heated up and I protested even more when he pulled his t-shirt off. 

"N-no, no." I yelped.

Death noticed my protests and leaned towards me. One hand rested on the bed next to me, the other grasped my left hand. 

"Look at me." He said, and my eyes flicked up to meet his cat like eyes.

The hand holding mine pulled me closer and he pressed my palm against his chest right where a heart should be. There was no pulse. His chest was cold, like something very dead. 

"D-death, stop being a jerk." I said, and he chuckled. 

He leaned closer so he was near my ear. He nipped my lobe and I whimpered. He repeated the action, seemingly savoring every time I made a noise. 

"You're going to be saying my name a lot," He murmured, voice husky. "And I will never get enough of those little noises you make."

Anticipation and fear made my mind reel, "Be gentle."

Death pulled back to look at me, "I will be gentle until you ask me not to be." 

I nodded and he smirked, pulling back. My heart was slamming against my rib cage and I escaped to the bathroom. I looked at my own reflection, at the mark on my neck. It didn't look so bad anymore.


	4. Afterlife 3

After Devin's insane party and before I went to sleep, my bracelet vibrated. I opened the screen whilst still in the bathroom. It was from Ariana. She wanted me to attend training classes with her, first thing in the morning. I wasn't sure what to say so I just responded that I would be there. I stayed sitting on the toilet, staring at the wall. What if I had no powers and was as dull as always? I startled when Death knocked on the door.

"Are you retiling the bathroom?" He asked, and I could hear the humor in his voice.

"Nope, just thinking." I called, and then frowned.

Why the heck was I still in here? I got up and opened the door. Death was sat on the bed. I walked over and sat next to him. I realised all my worrying could be abated by talking to him.

"Evangeline said I have powers," I said. "What if I can't like, make them work?"

"It's not really an exact science, you'll just have to try." He replied, and I felt his fingers tuck my hair behind my ear.

I was disappointed when he lowered his hand and set it behind my back. I could feel his gaze on me and my cheeks flushed.

"You're no help, you just make me more nervous." I pouted.

I turned my face to glare and didn't realise how close he was. Our noses were nearly touching and I felt the sweat collecting in my palms.

"I think you're mixing up anticipation and nerves." He grinned, then got up.

That night it took me a long time to fall asleep. I woke up to my bracelet vibrating. It felt early and I didn't want to move. During the night I had curled myself closer to Death. He was still cold and probably always would be, but it felt safe, lying there with him.

I lifted my arm and turned off the alarm. I'd received another message from Ariana. Apparently she wanted my whole team there. I sighed and tapped Death's arm with my finger. His hand shot up, grasping my hand.

"I don't sleep so you don't need to wake me." He grumbled.

"Ariana said you need to be with me at training." I said, and he opened his eyes.

He shifted and sat up, leaning over towards the bed side table. I leaned sideways to look. He opened the drawer and pulled out a pack of cigarettes. I had forgotten that he smoked. I got up and stumbled to the bathroom. It felt weird and really nice to share a room with him. I brushed my teeth, combed my hair and dug around in my suitcase. I'd stored it in the bathroom for now, still reluctant to be seen getting dressed.

I glanced at my reflection very quickly and noted the bags under my eyes. Today was going to be very difficult. At least Ariana was my teacher. She was kind and gentle. When I left the bathroom, Death had gotten dressed and was perched on the edge of the bed. He was smoking another cigarette.

"I'm ready when you are." I said, trying for relaxed confidence, judging by his smirk I'd definitely not sounded confident.

***********************

There were a few demons at the training area. A couple were across the way sparring and a few more were practicing with various weapons. The rest of my team were here. I saw Ariana walking towards us. She looked a little apprehensive and I couldn't figure out why until she got to us.

"I'm sorry and don't be too nervous." She smiled, apologetically.

A figure was marching towards us, wearing a black top and jeans. It was Debbie. Her features were stern as her gaze swept over each of us.

"Ari, why is Debbie here?" War asked.

"She's the one training Junko." Ariana whispered back.

Debbie stopped in front of us, "It is very impolite to whisper, horseman. Whatever you have to say can be said out loud."

I gulped. Debbie didn't seem interested in how we were as a team or anything remotely sentimental. War managed a nervous smile and bit his lip, choosing not to say anything. Debbie seemed to take this as a sign to continue.

"My name is Debbie, as you may be aware I'm the second oldest legion leader and unlike Lemmy, I will tolerate no smart comments or sarcasm." She glared at the horsemen.

Ariana looked at us with a guilty stare. I decided it might be best to keep my mouth shut until Debbie asked if there were any questions.

"W-will you be helping me with my powers?" I asked.

"You will be very pleased to know that my Father is a duke of The NetherWorld and my Mother is a second regiment angel, Miss Misaki, so yes I will be training you." Debbie snapped, curtly.

"And us?" Famine asked.

"You four will be assisting me in training Miss Misaki." Debbie replied, a note of humor in her tone.

I felt nerves lapping at my mind. Was Debbie saying my team were the same level as her. I wasn't the only one who was confused.

"With all due respect, we have never trained an angel. Ever." Pestilence said.

"This is indeed a privilege," Debbie continued. "Miss Misaki needs to learn there are stronger things than humans and ghosts. You four are the strongest things we have."

"And you want us to attack Junko?" Death snapped.

Debbie leveled him with a steely glare, "I'm so sorry your relationship with Miss Misaki compromises your feelings, but there will be none of that here. She needs to learn and you need to teach her, am I correct?"

"We go at quarter strength," Death replied. "Nothing more, nothing less."

Debbie smiled then and nodded. She motioned for Ariana and I step forward.

"Teach Miss Misaki the basics," Debbie said. "The rest is learned through practical lessons."

Ariana faced me and bought both her hands up. I mirrored her actions. Two pink energy balls formed on both her hands.

"Now you." She smiled.

I gulped and thought really hard. What was I supposed to be thinking of? I had no clue. Ariana looked disappointed and Debbie stormed over. She stood next to us and glared at me like I was purposely being a nuisance.

"Miss Misaki, do you have no happy memories? Is frolicking around with your 'boyfriend' not a happy memory?" She said, and I blushed.

"I-i have a lot of happy memories, but I-" I mumbled.

"An angel utilizes those memories to form their powers and your emotions dictate your powers. Nothing will happen if you feel upset." Ariana explained.

I closed my eyes and tried hard to reach for a happy memory. When I opened my eyes, Ariana was smiling and Debbie was nodding. I looked at my hands to see they were both glowing pink. I had done it. I had formed the pink energy that angels used. I smiled widely.

"Demonstrate offensive attacks, Ariana." Debbie said, and stepped back.

Ariana aimed her hand and threw a surge of energy at the target across the way. She did this a few times and then stopped, looking to me.

"Go ahead, Junko. I believe in you." She said.

I continued using my happy memories and managed to fire a few vollies of pink energy. I jumped up and down with joy. I was doing it. I looked to my team. Pestilence was clapping politely. I smiled wider and Debbie nodded again.

"Very good, Miss Misaki, for a beginner." She said.

"Yay, Junko." War called.

Debbie's grin grew more menacing, "Yes congratulations, Miss Misaki. Now let's see how you manage a threat."

I stopped smiling and glanced at my team. Debbie beckoned Death over. He shot Debbie a glare, but walked over. A feeling of dread slipped over me, but I tried to smother it into more happy memories. Would he hurt me?

"Now, now, Miss Misaki," Debbie chuckled then. "I'm sure he won't kill you."

"Of course not," Death replied. "There are other demons though."

He leveled a glare at Debbie and she smirked again, "I'm not your opponent, horseman."

I stepped back nervously when Death removed his scythe. He spun it between his fingers like it was a baton rather than a deadly weapon. He stopped, but seemed reluctant to attack.

"Time waits for no demon." Debbie's voice snapped.

This seemed to make Death move and he flew forward. He wasn't as fast as usual, but was still faster than me. I raised my hands and managed to fire several energy blasts all aimed at the ground.

"Miss Misaki, the enemy is not at your feet, it is in front of you." Debbie shouted.

I leapt back when Death bought the scythe up in an arc. He aimed it further away so I had time to move backwards. I didn't want to hurt him. Helplessness and worry lanced through me. I threw another few vollies and he dodged them, far too easily.

"Miss Misaki, why are you still aiming at the ground?" Debbie snapped.

"I-i don't want to hurt him." I called, a sob forming in my throat.

"You will not hurt him, rather it would be the other way round." Debbie replied, seemingly ignoring my pleas.

I closed my eyes and threw my hands apart. Sound faded and I opened my eyes. A pink shield had formed in front of me. I blinked at it and a few tears leaked from my eyes. When they did, the shield splintered at the top. Death had paused in front of me. His eyes met mine and he must have seen the tears because he dematerialised his weapon.

He reached out and tapped the top of the shield and it shattered into a million pieces leaving me standing there. I wanted to hug him, seek comfort, but I knew Debbie would be furious. Death didn't seem to care because he reached towards me and for a split second I thought we were still fighting until he hugged me. I peeked at Debbie and she didn't seem angry.

"Well, Miss Misaki, I am slightly impressed," Her words caught me off guard. "That was a fine shield."

I noticed Ariana was smiling. She looked pleased that I'd managed a shield and at the sudden display of affection.

"I am also impressed with you, horseman," Debbie snapped, tone still fiery. "Compassion isn't usually a trait of high level demons."

Death glared at Debbie. I could feel the anger coming off him in waves. I hugged him tighter and he relaxed somewhat.

Debbie sighed then and glanced at her bracelet. She pressed a few buttons then looked at us all.

"I have a meeting in ten minutes," She sounded calm now. "We shall continue this everyday until Miss Misaki learns how to defend herself and heal others and herself."

With that she turned and stalked off towards the second Legion house. Ariana watched her go and then looked at me. I had finally let go of Death.

"Junko, I'm so proud that you managed to create a shield on your first try." She beamed.

"So, I did OK?" I asked.

"You did amazingly," Pestilence walked over and patted my shoulder. "Well, apart from the several times that Death could have killed you, you did amazing."

"What? How many times?" I asked.

I knew I'd left my self open loads, but I wanted to learn so I asked.

"Before you attacked, whilst you attacked, when you hesitated, when you were scared you'd 'hurt' me and when you used the shield." Death said.

It galled me a little, but I had to admit he was right. I had humanized my team far too much and it had made them seem human. It also hurt to not think of them as human. I knew I'd have to get stronger and try to put the worry from my mind.

"So, am I still allowed on missions?" I asked.

Ariana bit her lip and looked away, "Debbie says no. She always felt like you shouldn't, but now she's training you she doesn't want you to go out till you're ready."

My heart sank. It would a while before I'd see the human world again. It felt a bit like a jail sentence, but I realised Debbie might be right so I bit my tongue. I knew this next week would be incredibly difficult.


	5. Afterlife 4

Training with Debbie was grueling and left me feeling like a failure at every turn. Sometimes she'd request just me on my own to meet her and she'd make me stand there and shoot the target across the way. I felt like she'd only done this because she realised I wouldn't be able to hurt my team. She'd sit me down and make me heal other demons so that I could get used to helping people I didn't know.

On the following Monday I was exhausted and slumped to the ground after our session. Debbie checked her bracelet and sighed. I honestly hoped I'd done enough to please her.

"You've finished all the training." She said at last.

"Really?" I gasped.

"Yes, any other skills you need will be learnt in the outside world." She smiled, actually smiled, like I'd done her proud.

"Can I go get some food?" I asked.

"Yes, I feel that would be a good idea." She said, and held out her hand so I could stand.

We started walking together and I was so relieved that I could finally go out on missions again. We got to the edge of the training area and she stopped, turning to face me. She held out her hand and I took it. She held my hand in a firm grip and smiled.

"Take care of yourself, Junko," She said, softly. "If you have any concerns about your current situation then I would be happy to help."

With that, she let go and walked away. I watched her go. My stomach gurgled and I turned to walk back to Lemmy's legion house. I rounded one of the corners and backed up. Gaia was hanging around on the other side. She was wearing a flowing golden dress with her hair loose. She wasn't showing any signs of pregnancy yet and I really wasn't sure how demon pregnancy worked. She was speaking into a bracelet on her wrist.

"He just won't open up to me." She snapped.

The holographic screen was open on the bracelet but I couldn't see who she was speaking to. They must have said something because she huffed out an aggravated sigh.

"No, I barely even see the human he used hang around with," Gaia spoke again. "So, he's clearly not still hung up on her."

I leaned further round to watch her. She'd sat on one of the alcoves, crossing her leg in a demure way. I waited to see what else she'd say. A hand clamped over my mouth covering the yelp I let out. I was pulled back and pressed against someone. My nose was uncovered and I could smell sulfur and cigarette smoke. My eyes flicked up to see Death.

He was grinning down at me. I narrowed my eyes at him and thought about biting his palm.

"Didn't anyone ever tell you eavesdropping is rude." He murmured near my ear.

My whole body trembled and he removed his hand, allowing me to speak.

"I-i wasn't doing that. I happened to round a corner and she happened to be there." I said.

"Of course, you just happened to be spying on a private conversation." He chuckled, and electricity ran through my veins.

I turned around in his arms and hugged him. He returned the hug and rested his head on mine. His breath tickled my hair.

"I missed you so much." I smiled.

I waited to see if he'd say the same and when he didn't I glanced up at him.

"Did you miss me?" I asked.

"I decided to look for you, didn't I?" He replied.

My stomach let out another gurgle and we pulled apart. My hand touched his and he linked our fingers. We went the other way out of the training area so we didn't interrupt Gaia. My bracelet vibrated and I lifted my hand as we walked. We ended up sitting on the steps of Lemmy's legion house.

It was a standard mission of clearing a ghost from a building except it was in Los Angeles. With Derek gone, I felt like there was nothing left to be afraid of. I could visit home with no fear.

"It's in Los Angeles." I smiled.

"And that's good?" Death asked.

He was seated behind me, arms draped over me and he was watching the holographic screen on my bracelet. I was brimming with excitement. I had always wanted to see Hollywood and act like a celebrity. I couldn't wait.

"Los Angeles is called the city of angels. It's like a sign." I said, tilting my head to look at him.

I could tell that meant nothing to Death, but his lips quirked, like he was happy to see me so happy. I looked back to my bracelet and accepted the mission without thinking. I knew this was going to be the best mission ever. We'd clear the ghost and go looking around at all the sights.

********************

The streets were packed with people. I had foregone food for the time being, simply being happy to take in all the sights of Los Angeles. The sun was out despite it being mid March. I glanced back and waited. Ariana had accompanied us again since Debbie wanted to be sure I'd be OK.

"Junko, wait a moment." She said.

I walked back towards them. Death pulled me out of the way of a group of teens as they strolled down the street. We stood in an archway and watched the people walk by. The shops were full of people and I couldn't wait to see the beaches.

"I think the building we need is along Sunset Boulevard, somewhere." Ariana said.

She bought up a map on her bracelet and was staring at it.

"Is that place quieter than this place?" War asked.

"It's very tourist-y here." She replied.

"So, there will always be a lot of people." Famine said.

I could see why they were nervous. We crossed the street and made our way along the road. We walked for a while until palm trees lined the street and the crowds became less dense. The map on Ariana's wrist beeped and we stopped at a house. It was tucked away behind a fence.

"Wow." I whispered.

"How many humans live here?" War asked.

"Judging by that sign there, I'd say zero." Pestilence pointed to the 'For Sale' sign on the lawn.

"I guess knocking isn't going to be an option." Death said.

Ariana shook her head, "No, I think we'll have to jump the fence."

We managed to get over and walked around to the back of the house. There was a pool out back that was empty. The house looked like no one had lived in it for a while.

"Whoops."

I turned to find that Famine had managed to open the sliding door leading outside. It was confusing how the door could be unlocked, but it was good for us.

The house itself was empty and a thin sheen of dust coated the surfaces. We split up to explore the house. I couldn't sense anything yet. I opened the door to another room and found it was a huge bathroom. A tap dripped and made me jump. Despite the house being grand, there was something very weird about being in an empty home. It felt like somewhere we shouldn't be.

I left the bathroom and opened another door to find an empty room. It seemed like it would be a downstairs bedroom. Something made me pause and I could hear someone crying. It was coming from a door on the other side. I crossed the room, tentatively, opening the door.

The sight that greeted me made my throat close up, then I screamed. Inside the closet was a body. It looked female. Her hair was covering her face. I could hear footsteps and then the door on the other side opened.

"Junko." I heard Death's voice.

I turned round and saw the source of the crying. It was a ghost. She was wearing a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. Her hair was long and side swept. She was still crying, but making no moves to attack. I glanced at Death and he moved round the edge of the room. He beckoned me over and I moved quietly round the ghost.

I hugged him and we stared at the ghost. She was still floating there, still crying. I knew it might be a bad idea to attract her attention since ghosts usually acted aggressively.

"Why are you crying?" I called.

The ghost lowered her hands and looked in my direction. It was like she was looking through me. She started moving her mouth, trying to speak and then raised her hands to her throat, motioning to her neck.

"Did someone kill you?" I asked.

The ghost continued this frantic movement. Her hands went to her head and the sobbing continued. I realised the kindest thing would be to let her spirit rest. she didn't seem to put up a fight when I managed to shoot a pink orb at her. She disintegrated into the air.

I half expected her body to vanish too, but when we called the others and went to the closet, her body was still there. It was not a nice sight. I turned away from it.

"What should we do?" Pestilence asked Ariana.

"We need to leave and call the police." She replied.

So, we did. We left the house, then went further away. Ariana phoned the police. There was a shop at the end of the road where I got some water. I had been hungry before, but now my stomach felt hollow and empty. I couldn't get the thought of that girl out of my head.

"She was trying to say someone attacked her." I said.

"Do ghosts usually act like that?" Death asked.

He sat behind me on the grass and I relaxed into him. Ariana was watching the house. We could still see it from further up the street. The police had arrived about a moment ago.

"No, not usually. I think we need to stay in case any more ghosts pop up." She replied.

She opened the holographic screen and started typing a message to Lemmy. I really didn't want to stay here after what had happened. Ariana finished her message and smiled.

"We should go eat and find a place to stay." She said.

Nerves coiled up inside me. We left the grass verge. I glanced back in time to see an ambulance arrive.


	6. Afterlife 5

Finding a restaurant in Los Angeles was amazing. As the evening wore on I was starting to feel a little better. Lemmy had messaged Ariana back and advised us to stay put in case something else happened. Had the legions dealt with murder cases before? The answer was apparently yes, it happened a fair bit. A part of me wanted to help that girl and find her killer, but it seemed like a task best left to the police.

We ended up at an Italian place and it felt so nice to be sitting down and ordering food. Ariana had seemed affected by the ghost earlier, but now she was bright and happy again. With sunset, my team seemed more relaxed. There were less people now and the night life was starting to show itself.

"I love this place." Ariana said.

She'd ordered an eggplant norma and I soon discovered she was actually a vegetarian. This seemed like a really good time to relax and unwind before any more ghost sightings appeared.

"This city seems like it has a hidden dark side." Famine said.

I glanced at him. He was leaning on the table, toying with the napkin. Ariana had clearly been here before.

"It's a very melancholy place," She replied. "You might say that there are ghosts on every corner."

The waitress arrived with our food and for a while we lapsed into silence. I kept looking out the window and watching the people walking by. Had I misjudged Los Angeles? Was its layer of glamour really only skin deep? We really had seemed to uncover a hidden dark side.

After food, the waitress bought over the dessert menu and I perked up instantly. I hadn't eaten much Italian food before and I was still a little scared. I decided to opt out of dessert.

"How many desserts is too many?" War asked.

"I think if you're planning on ordering more than one then that is too many." Pestilence replied, taking the menu away.

He hadn't spoke much and neither had Death. They'd both seemed worried. I couldn't blame them. We paid and left.

"I know where we can stay," Ariana said. She was leading the way. "Junko, you'll love it."

We started walking briskly away from the restaurant and we headed in the direction of Doheny Drive. The streets weren't as busy as they had been, but there were still people enjoying the Friday evening. We strolled past several bars and clubs. People were outside, handing out leaflets.

A girl stepped in front of me and I was surprised at her speed. Her hair was pink and one side of her head was shaved. Two piercings were on her lips and she had a ring in the middle of her nose. She looked pleased she'd managed to stop me.

"Hiya, can I interest you in a flyer?" She beamed. There was another piercing above her front teeth.

"I-i- sure." I mumbled. I didn't want to upset her.

She stepped back slightly and I realised Death had appeared next to me. He ignored her completely.

"You OK?" He asked, looping his arm round me.

"Y-yeah, this girl wanted to give me a flyer, or something." I said, blushing at the feel of his hand on my hip.

The girl watched us with a smile on her face, "Can I just say that you two are adorable."

"Than-" I was about to say before she started again.

"How long have you been together?" She gushed, then glanced at Death. "Wow, your hair is amazing, like fire."

She seemed to realise she'd been talking over us and thrust a leaflet at me. I accepted it to find it was a flyer for a band called 'Dead Poets Society.'

"Like the film." I murmured.

"They're really good. You both should come along. They're playing the whole weekend." she continued, breezily as though I hadn't spoken.

"If we say yes, will you let us go?" Death said.

The girl grinned and let us pass. We carried on walking and when I looked back she waved. I lifted the leaflet and looked at the font. It was all capitals and there was a picture underneath of two guys on stage.

We caught up to the others and continued walking. I had never really been to a club. I always used to decline Collette's invites, mostly because at the time we were both underage and she had managed to get fake IDs. Now I was twenty-one it seemed like it was OK to go clubbing like a normal girl.

"What held you two up?" War asked.

I passed him the leaflet and he stared at it and looked confused, "Is it music?"

"Yeah, I think it's a band." I said.

We got to the hotel and he handed it to Ariana. She smiled a little at the leaflet.

"You can go if you want, Junko," She said. "You both can if you were invited and wanted to spend some time together."

"But what about you guys?" I asked.

"I was going to get a massage." Ariana said.

"Do they do that here? I want one too." Famine grinned.

"Room service." War said.

I glanced at Pestilence and he smiled, "I will probably see about this room service thing."

"Then a movie night." Ariana suggested.

"See, you two can spend a night together and be all romantic." War said.

I glanced at Death and he shrugged. I guessed that meant we'd be hanging out together tonight. I glanced at the hotel and was amazed. It was a towering building. The entrance was under an archway.

"The Four Seasons." Ariana smiled.

"This looks so fancy." I replied.

Walking into a fancy hotel dressed the way we were felt really fun. The foyer was quiet, only a few guests were hanging around. They paid no notice to us as we walked in. The flooring was marble and across the way were a few couches. They were cream coloured. Everything was so pretty. We got to the desk and the lady smiled brightly. She didn't seem to care what we looked like.

Ariana did most of the talking and she looked so happy when we got the keys. She handed them out. She gave me the key and smiled widely. I accepted it and she hugged me.

"Have fun." She whispered.

Death and I left the hotel after I pocketed the keys and we retraced our steps. By this point it was really dark and there were a lot more people around. We walked hand in hand down the street.

"This is so exciting. I've never been to a club before." I said, nervously.

"Just be careful." Death said.

I realised he was right. This was all new to me and I was a little on edge. We got back to the club and the same girl was out front.

"Oh my God, you came back." She beamed, rushing forward, hugging me.

She let go and smiled. She insisted on us following her into the club. The door led down a flight of stairs and into a small room, filled with people. A stage was across the way with musical equipment on it. Very heavy rock music was blasting out of the speakers.

The girl led us to the bar and I winced a little at the music. I stood next to her by the bar and Death stood next to me. I stepped back to be closer to him and he wrapped his arms round me. The girl was talking a mile a minute to us.

"This is definitely your sort of music." Death murmured into my ear.

"No, it sounds like people being sick." I whispered back.

The girl turned back to face us, "Anyways, I've got to go and hand out more flyers, if you need me just ask for Bianca."

She walked through the crowd, leaving us there. All around me were people dressed in very spikey clothes. I suddenly realised I stood out a lot in my baby blue dress and pink converse. Death looked more like he fit in here. He was wearing blue skinny jeans, a black t-shirt and a leather jacket.

"Should we get some drinks?" I asked.

"Might as well." He replied.

I managed to get ID'd and that seemed to make Death laugh. I had ordered a Pepsi and he'd ordered a beer. We moved away from the bar to allow others to get to it. We passed by a bunch of girls dressed all in black with lots of piercings. They looked so cool and aloof.

There were no seats so we went to one of the corners and stayed there. This was definitely nerve-wracking, but I was happy I was spending my first time out with Death. I moved closer to him and he put his arm round me. Some girls across the way glanced over and whispered to each other. I felt a little upset by that. I couldn't help feeling like I wasn't good enough. Death noticed my sudden forlorn face.

"What's wrong?" He leaned slightly to talk to me over the music.

"Sometimes I wonder why you put up with me." I replied.

He sighed and set the beer down on a table, coming to stand in front of me. His hand rested on my hip and I peeked up at him through my fringe.

"I'm with you because you make me happy." He said.

"Really?" I asked.

"Do you expect me to say no," He chuckled, then followed my gaze as I glanced at the girls behind him. "Ignore them, please."

I smiled and set my drink on the table next to me and stood on my tiptoes to hug him. Our eyes met and I leaned forward to kiss him. The music stopped and I realised the band had come onto the stage. We both glanced round at them, momentarily distracted.

The two guys seemed to be the band. They had backing guitarists and a drummer, but the focus seemed to be mainly on them.

"How you doing, Los Angeles?" The one on the right shouted into his mic.

The lights were quite bright so it was difficult to see, but he had long hair that ended just above his shoulders. From this distance it appeared to be purple. The guy next to him had black hair that was swept to the side and a little shorter. A few members of the crowd cheered and I wondered if they'd performed here before.

I stepped back and Death hugged me. I could see the crowd apeared to be mostly girls. There were a few guys here and there.

"We're Dead Poets Society." The second guy yelled.

The music started and they began to sing. It took me a few seconds to realise the guy with the black hair was the better singer. They weren't really heavy metal like I expected. They were more pop rock. It seemed strange for a place like this. I closed my eyes and focused on the lyrics. The lyrics themselves seemed to be rather R-rated, which made me blush, but also made me think they were kind of immature. I glanced up at Death. He seemed to feeling the same way.

"What do you think?" I asked, when he leaned down.

"I could definitely see them as my new favorite band." He replied.

I laughed at that. Dead Poets Society finished their first song and moved onto the second. The group of girls from before seemed really into them. They were cheering and giggling, trying to attract the singers' attention. They succeeded when the guy with purple hair spotted them.

The band played for what felt like ages, but must have only been an hour or so. Thankfully their set came to an end. The girls in front of us wanted an encore, but the band left the stage. The heavier music resumed and I finished my drink.

"They were kind of lame." I said.

"Kind of shit." Death replied.

"Should we get another drink?" I asked.

"Yeah, if you want." He said.

We started to walk away when the girls started screaming. We both paused and saw the band appear. I was stunned that they'd remembered those girls and come to speak to them. I started walking to the bar. One of the girls had removed her purse and was heading in the same direction.

"Whoops." she giggled.

I looked down and saw she had dropped her ID. I reached down to grab it to hand it back when I noticed the edges weren't round like a normal ID, but were squared. It was fake. I wanted to ask her why, but handed it back.

"Oh my God, thank you," She giggled. She was very drunk. "By the way, your boyfriend is really hot."

She turned towards the bathroom. We got to the bar and ordered drinks. I stood on my tiptoes to whisper in Death's ear.

"Her ID was fake." I said.

"We should tell someone." He replied.

The bar man had walked further away at this point. The girl was walking back and the guy from the band had slipped his arm round her waist. He had to know that she was underage. I knew I should say something. I waited till Death went to tell the barman and then walked over. I tapped the guy with purple hair on the shoulder and he turned to face me. He was only a few inches taller than me.

"Can I help you?" He asked, somewhat rudely.

"That young girl you're hugging is underage." I said, quietly.

He smirked and I felt suddenly repulsed by him.

"Listen, why don't you fuck off." He snarled, and went to shove me.

He was suddenly lifted off his feet by the scruff of his t-shirt by Death. The girls backed away a little. The other guy from the band rushed forward, apologizing profusely. Death clearly decided he'd made his point and dropped the guy, unceremoniously to the floor. The guy recovered quickly.

"Fuck you, man, control your bitch."

Death smirked and leaned down towards the guy, "Touch her again and I'll shove my fist so far down your throat you won't be singing, or speaking again."

The guy scrambled back on the floor, clearly terrified. Death stood back to full height, calmly took my hand and led me back up the steps just as security got down there. We got back onto the street and rounded the corner. There were some benches across the way. Death led me towards them and we sat down. My heart was still pounding against my chest. One of his hands laced with my own trembling one and the other gently cupped my cheek, tracing across my face.

"Are you OK?" He asked.

"Y-yeah, he told me to f-off and didn't seem to care how old she was. I just didn't want her to get hurt." I broke down a little.

Death shifted closer and hugged me. I rested my face against his shoulder and took a few shuddering breaths to try and calm down. I pulled back and wiped my tears on my sleeve.

"You wanna go back to the hotel?" Death asked.

"Yeah, I really do." I replied.

He stood first and held out his hand to me. I accepted and we walked back through the side streets instead of going near the club again. I knew I'd need to phone the police about that guy, but I could do that once we got back to the hotel. It had been a tough evening and all I wanted to do was get somewhere safe.


	7. Afterlife 6

Before I went to sleep I phoned the police. It took a while, but eventually they answered. They said they'd go check it out, but wouldn't say anything other than that. I must have fallen asleep after that. I woke up a few hours later and it was still dark so it must have still been late. I felt Death next to me and snuggled closer to him. I heard my bracelet vibrate as it received a notification. I remember rolling to grab it from the bedside table, but Death stopped me before I could reach it.

"Check it in the morning." His voice was near my ear.

"K." I murmured, and curled back against him.

I must have fallen back to sleep because when I woke up again it was light outside. I sat up and stretched. I was alone in the bed. The bathroom door was shut and I could hear the water running. I felt sad that I had missed seeing Death before he went into the bathroom. I remembered my bracelet and grabbed it from the nightstand.

The notification was about a ghost in this city that had become active. So, Lemmy had been right to keep us here. Someone else had clearly been murdered. I knew once we'd all gotten up that we'd need to investigate. I'd need a shower too. I sat and waited for a few minutes until I heard the water turn off.

I slid off the bed and padded across the room. I stopped outside the door and paused. My chest constricted and I walked back to the bed and sat down. For a few minutes it felt like I couldn't breathe properly. I didn't hear the door open and jumped a little when I saw Death kneeling in front of me. His hair was slightly darker due to being wet and he smelt like soap. He was wearing jeans and a towel was hanging round his shoulders.

"You OK?" He asked.

"Yeah, I just freaked out a little." I replied.

His right hand reached up and gently traced my face. It felt like the panic was subsiding a little, but my mind kept reeling back to what we'd find today when we found the ghost. I wanted to take my mind off the thought.

"Can I ask you something?" I said.

"You just did." Death replied.

"OK, maybe I did," I said. "What's your true form?"

The hand on my face faltered and I honestly thought I'd upset him. I looked at him to see if he was angry, but his lips quirked at the corners and I wondered what kind of answer I'd get.

"You want to know if I'm a monster." He said.

He blinked and his eyes became black and when he blinked again they returned to the usual hazel. It should have scared me, but it didn't. I wanted to be closer to him, but didn't really know how to ask. He stood and leaned towards me. I felt his lips touch my neck and I let out a shaky breath.

"I don't think you're a monster." I said, tilting my head to look at him.

I heard the soft inhalation and the tickle of his breath. A shiver traced down down my spine and my tummy felt warm.

"I can sense how nervous you are," He said, and I froze. "But I can sense how much you want me to touch you."

"I am really nervous." I admitted, and he pulled back, eyes locking with mine.

"I'm not going to do anything until you ask." Death said.

"O-ok, I would like to do stuff with you, please." I said, softly.

His lips met mine in a rough kiss and he pushed me so I'd go backwards up the bed. My head met the pillows and our hips pressed together. My hands went round his shoulders whilst one of his hands lifted my left leg, wrapping it round his hip. I felt him roll his hips into mine and the friction made me whimper. He pulled back from the kiss and I arched my body against him, desperate for more. His hands held mine above my head, but his hips stopped moving.

"Please." I begged.

"Good girl." He chuckled, and pressed against me again, letting me feel how aroused he was.

My back arched and I moaned. Our lips met again and I copied his movements as his lips teased mine and his tongue traced my lower lip. He pulled back and stopped moving. I let out a disappointed whine at the loss of friction. His hands let go of my own and grazed down my sides, over my hips and stopping at my night dress. I raised my head just as he pushed the clothing upwards.

"W-what are you doing?" I asked, anticipation giving way to inexperienced embarrassment.

Was I embarrassed? Yes, of course I was. It was mostly due to the fact I was scared of being a disappointment and that I still felt like I should have been more. My hands scrambled to cover myself, but Death took my hands.

"You're nervous." He said.

"Yes." I replied.

"I won't hurt you." He said, eyes locking with mine.

"It's just-there's hair down there and I read that guys hate that and I don't want you to dislike any part of me." I rambled.

"I don't think it's possible for me to dislike any part of you." Death replied.

He wasn't smirking and he looked sincere. It was now or never. I let go of his hands and gripped the edge of my night dress, pulling it up a little. I tried not to care that my Moomin underwear was on show. My eyes flicked to the headboard as his hands traced the band of my underwear.

I lifted my hips when his hands slid under my body. With the underwear gone, I felt so exposed. My eyes flicked downwards. Death's hands ran down my legs and they parted under his touch. Nerves coiled in my tummy when he lowered his face and I gasped when his lips touched my exposed skin. When I felt his tongue hit a certain spot I moaned. It was a new sensation.

My hips arched and I desperately tried to get more friction, but his hands held my hips down, forcing me to take what he was giving. My own hands grasped the headboard as he continued. His tongue grazed certain areas, areas I hadn't known existed and it made me cry out. I didn't care at this point. My body was spiraling and I could feel something building.

A whine escaped my lips when he pulled back. He moved up the bed and lay next to me. His hand replaced his mouth and I moaned when his two fingers slid into me. He moved them in a come hither motion, all the while brushing his thumb against a cluster of nerves. His other hand pushed my head sideways to meet his lips.

Everything felt incredible and the feeling in my tummy built. Our lips disconnected and with one final movement of his fingers I let go. My body fell off the cliff and it was like I was weightless all over again. I came back to Earth and glanced at him. Death was grinning and at that point I couldn't get over how much I loved seeing his trademark grin.

Someone knocked at the door and for a moment it seemed like it didn't matter. I wanted to do stuff to him. To show him how much I loved him, but the knocking grew more insistent. Death pulled back.

"B-but." I whined.

"To be continued." He smirked, leaning down and kissing me.

He got up and disappeared into the bathroom, leaving me to hurriedly put my underwear on and rush to answer the door. When I opened it, Ariana was on the other side. She was already dressed and smiled when she saw me.

"Did you get the notification?" She asked.

"Yes." I replied, because I was still stunned from what happened a minute ago.

"We should go and check it out," She said, as if I didn't look confused. "We'll meet you two down in the lobby."

With that she vanished down the hallway. I fumbled around the room and got dressed. Death came out of the bathroom and grabbed a t-shirt. I waited on the bed, unsure of what to say and whether this changed our dynamic. He put on a hoodie and went to walk past me. Apparently it changed nothing and everything at the same time. He took my hand and helped me up, then leaned down to kiss me.

"You make me happy." I smiled, and he laughed.

"Ready to go?" He asked.

I nodded and we left the hotel room, hand in hand. When we got downstairs the others were already waiting. We left the hotel and opted not to get breakfast since Ariana was scared about what we'd find. This time the bracelets guided us to somewhere near the Hollywood sign. The houses round here were just as stunning.

"What if there's another body?" I asked.

We'd stopped at a shop to grab some drinks. The day was unusually sunny and the heat was starting to make me feel tired.

"I don't know." Ariana replied.

I got the sense that this was her first time dealing with such a case. We carried on walking and our journey ended at another house that was for sale. Dread crept into my tummy as we stared at the house. It was another upmarket home with a high wall and a gate at the front. We got in the same way as last time. This house also had a pool and a sliding door.

"I found a clue." War said.

He had leaned down by the door and picked up something. On closer inspection it appeared to be a hair pin. It had been straightened and had clearly been used to pick the lock. The house was empty when we entered. Someone was crying though.

The ghost was in the lounge. She barely noticed us and when she did, she slowly lowered her hands and my eyes widened. It was the girl from last night. The one who had been underage. My throat tightened and I glanced at Death. He had recognized her too.

"What happened to you between when we saw you and now?" I shouted over her weeping.

The ghost stopped sobbing and started trying to speak, but her words sounded like she was under water. Her hands went to her throat, grasping desperately at the skin there. When she realised we couldn't understand, she broke down again. I glanced at Ariana. She looked pale and she took a shuddering breath. She lifted her hand and fired a pink energy blast at the ghost until she disintegrated. The house was silent once more.

There was bound to be a body somewhere, but I didn't want to see it. We left and phoned the police again. By this point the heat was starting to fade and the afternoon was cooling down.

"We need to find out who's doing this." Ariana said.

We'd found a cafe and sat down to rest. I had a feeling I knew who was doing it, but there was zero proof.

"It was that guy from the band." I stated.

We needed proof, as well as a plan to stop him. I knew he'd be performing in thatt same club, which seemed so arrogant of him.

"We should all go tonight." War said.

Worry lanced through me. I'd never tried to apprehend a killer before, but I knew we had to try and stop this guy somehow, before there were anymore victims.


	8. Afterlife 7

"He's going to recognize us." I blurted out.

We'd left the cafe and the thought only just dawned on me that if we went back to the club the creepy, murderous guy would recognize me. He'd especially recognize Death. Ariana paused, pressing her fingers to her lips in thought. War noticed the uneasy glance that passed between Death and myself.

"Left a good impression on the guy then?" He asked.

Death's answering smirk made War laugh and Pestilence sigh.

"What's the plan, Ari?" He asked.

"We need to blend in," She replied, then her eyes lit up. "I have a plan."

The plan was to go to Hot Topic. Ariana had decided that it couldn't be helped that the guy would remember Death, but she and I could be in disguise. She refused to disclose the rest of the plan though. There was a Hot Topic along Hollywood Boulevard and that's where we seemed to be going.

Having never been to a Hot Topic, I realised it was the store that most alternative girls loved and would always be included in stories I read as a young teen. Such stories always included a lengthy description of the characters' clothing, all selected from Hot Topic. The whole store was black and there were mostly girls going in and out.

"We need to blend in and this is the best place to find clothes to do that." Ariana said, grinning.

Once inside I realised this place also sold geeky stuff too. Ariana had to pull me away from a Lilo and Stitch skater dress. She sighed when I kept holding the dress up to myself to see how cute it was.

"Plan b," She smiled, turning to the horsemen. "You guys can pick."

"Seriously?" Pestilence said.

"I kinda like the dress Junko has." Famine said.

I put the Lilo and Stitch dress back and glanced around. Being a goth or alternative really wasn't my scene.

"This one." War appeared, handing Ariana a black dress with purple Polaroid cameras on it.

"A Beetle-juice dress." She smiled.

"From the film we watched, right." War replied.

Ariana disappeared to try it on. I walked over to Death. He was looking at the mens' section. When I approached he handed me a dress. It was black with moons and stars on, slightly lower cut than I would have liked.

"It's cute." I said.

With our outfits chosen, we went back to the hotel and changed. It was getting late now and we'd need to go to the club soon and start Ariana's plan. Ariana insisted that I go to her room and get ready. She'd sat me in front of the mirror on the vanity and was straightening my shoulder length hair.

Before I'd arrived, she'd applied heavier make-up than usual to her face, giving her the look of an edgy scene girl. Once she'd tamed my hair she started on my make-up. It wasn't a look I was used to. We put on the dresses. Ariana had paired hers with her usual black boots and I'd put my converse back on. Old habits die hard.

The guys were already waiting in the lobby. We left the hotel, garnering our first set of strange looks from a man and woman walking through the glass doors. Couldn't really blame them. Saturday night crowds were bigger and louder. We got to the bar and panic set in a little. Would they let us in given what had happened last night?

A familiar pink head appeared and I realised Bianca had spotted us and was walking over. She looked a little tired, but seemed to be cheerful enough.

"Hey, you two cuties," She grinned, giving me a hug. She pulled back. "What happened last night?"

Her sad eyes went to Death and I thought he might look away, but he didn't. His gaze was serious and it was Bianca, whose eyes flicked back to me.

"Just a minor disagreement." Death replied.

Bianca noticed Ariana, Pestilence, Famine and War. Her smile lit up again, "Oh my God, you bought your friends, that's so dope."

She hugged Ariana, who tentatively patted Bianca on her shoulder. The two of them pulled apart and something hit the floor, a small piece of rectangle plastic. Famine noticed it and leaned down, picking it up. From where I stood I could see it was a fake ID.

"Is this yours?" Famine asked Bianca.

"Oh my God, it is, thank you so much." She smiled, accepting it.

She led the way down the stairs and we were greeted by the familiar bar and stage. There were no more posters advertising Dead Poets Society and instead there were posters advertising some other band.

"Are Dead Poets Society playing tonight?" I asked Bianca.

"Yeah, they're still playing. This is for next weeks band." She replied.

Dread coiled in my stomach. A lot of the girls in here looked young and now, looking at Bianca, she looked young too. She went to leave and I touched my hand to her arm.

"Bianca, how old are you, really?" I asked.

Her face paled as she looked at each of us. She must have seen the concern and balked. She took a steadying breath, then giggled a little.

"It's cool, you guys, don't even worry about it." She smiled.

"Do your parents know you're here?" Pestilence asked, and this time Bianca's eyes filled with tears, but she blinked them away.

"Of course, they do, we're all adults here." She smiled nervously, stepping back.

Before I could stop her, she had fled through the crowd, back towards the door. The lights dimmed and Dead Poets Society arrived on stage. They looked the same as last night except the one who had spoken to us had pink and black hair tonight. That was a fast transformation.

"Must be a wig."Ariana said, noticing his change in appearance.

"Bet he's bald under that wig." War laughed, then stopped at the glare from Pestilence.

The music was just as bad as last night, still overtly sexual and immature, but made worse by the fact that most of the people in here were underage.

"This is awful." Famine said.

"It's even worse with repeated listens." Death smirked.

His arms were wrapped round my waist, protectively. The set went on for what felt like forever. I noticed Bianca had come back in and was next to the stage. The guy with pink hair handed her a drink and she accepted it. It was like a horror movie, watching her get inebriated.

The gig ended and the band members left the stage. They walked down the steps, signing things for the fans. The guy in the wig was loud and making lewd jokes. His band member seemed reticent and politely signed things.

Bianca had appeared next to them and the wigged guy slung his arm round her unsteady form. She would be his victim for the night. Ariana made her way over before I could stop her. What was she doing? She got to his side and tapped his shoulder. He let go of Bianca for a minute, who looked disappointed. Thank God, she'd be safe, but what about Ariana?

Bianca didn't seem to want to give up and whispered something in his ear. The guy grinned, looking like he'd won the lottery.

"Fuck yeah, a threesome." He yelled, causing the other girls to giggle.

"We should do something." Famine said.

Ariana's eyes met mine and she nodded her head to follow. The other band member left alone, seemingly happy to be away from Wig-guy. Meanwhile, we followed him, Bianca and Ariana out back. They set off on foot with us close behind.

We got to one of the housing estates, full of mansions hidden behind locked gates.

"What is this guy doing?" War asked as we peeked round a hedge at them.

They had paused on a verge by a mansion. In the streetlight, a For Sale sign was standing in front of the property.

"You four continue following. I'll stay here and call the cops." Pestilence said.

We snuck a bit closer and listened.

"Yeah, this is my new home, gotta get all the paperwork sorted," Wig-guy was saying. "You girls wanna have a look inside."

Bianca giggled and agreed. Ariana nodded. Wig-guy seemed to be picking the lock on the gate and within a couple of minutes, the gate had opened and they were heading inside. The four of us followed.

The house was glorious, like somewhere a movie star or famous singer would live. We followed the voices around back. They had entered through the sliding door near the swimming pool.

We stayed by the door, watching as Wig-guy sat them in the spacious front room. He pulled his backpack off his shoulders, pulling out a bottle of something and three drinking cups.

He offered a cup to Bianca, who happily took it. He offered to Ariana and she shifted backwards.

"I'd rather remember this night." She said.

"Just a little won't hurt." He persisted.

"I can have some more, Daniel." Bianca said.

"No, you've had enough. She needs to drink some." He snapped.

Bianca went quiet and Ariana shifted backwards. We had to do something before she got hurt.

"Don't you want to remember tonight? It'll be so cool." Ariana said, her voice cracked a little.

Wig-guy, or Daniel scowled, "Come here."

He advanced and Ariana stumbled backwards. Meanwhile, Bianca sat there, sipping her spiked drink, staring to her right like a puppy, afraid of the mess it had made. War stormed past us, holding a large branch. His eyes were intent and we followed. Bianca still hadn't noticed.

The tree branch connected with Daniel's head and he fell forward, unconscious. This time Bianca noticed me as I sat next to her. Her eyes widened and the cup slipped from her hand. She glanced round, finally noticing War helping Ariana up.

Famine nudged Daniel with his boot and glanced at Death, who was leaning down, pulling at the wig slightly. Bianca snapped to attention.

"What are you doing to his hair?" She sobbed. "He's beautiful, he chose me."

Death peeled the wig off and underneath was stringy brown hair, no longer than his chin, thinning and dead looking. Bianca's lips parted and she stood, shakily. I helped her stumble over and she stared at Daniel, like she was seeing him for the first time.

Ariana dug around in her handbag, pulling out a wet wipe and wiping his face, leaving a streak of make-up on the wipe. Once all the make-up was gone, Daniel looked much older and much more gaunt, like a ghoul. Bianca looked at him again and a sob slipped out.

"16," Bianca murmured. "I'm 16, I want my Mom."

Her voice was feeble and scared, like a child because that's exactly what she was. With tears streaming down her cheeks, she cried and her make-up smudged too, leaving no doubt that she was that young.

"Bianca, we need to leave, the police will be here soon." I said, and she nodded.

We left the house and got outside. Pestilence walked over and looked incredibly relieved to see us. His features saddened at seeing Bianca.

"The police are on their way. I called an ambulance too, just in case." He explained.

"That's good, we think Bianca's had her drink spiked." Ariana said.

The police arrived as did the paramedics. The paramedics sat Bianca on the back of their ambulance and took her vitals. She confessed everything to them too and they looked at each other and gently reassured Bianca. The police, meanwhile, went into the house and discovered Daniel. They cuffed him and shoved him into the back of the cop car. His make-up was gone and his wig had fallen off, revealing the monster underneath.

"We saw him enter the house whilst heading home and thought he looked suspicious." Ariana told the female officer.

This seemed to satisfy them and they took Ariana's number just in case. The paramedics were going to take Bianca into hospital to get her on fluids to get rid of the drugs in her system and call her Mom.

"Hang on, I need to do something before we go." Bianca said. She still sounded a bit slurry, but seemed to be ok.

She smiled when we all walked over to see if she was ok.

"T-thank you so much," She sobbed out. "If you guys hadn't of saved me, who knows what would have happened."

She stood up and had to be steadied by the ambulance crew, but she stumbled over and hugged each of us in turn. Each time, she sobbed out the words thank you like a mantra. She finally stumbled back to the worried paramedics and let them take her to hospital. We watched them leave and the street was quiet.

"Think she'll be ok?" Famine asked.

"Yeah, I hope so." I replied.

We left Los Angeles that day and I realised I didn't want to come back for a long time, but I'd keep an eye on the news and hope with all my heart that Daniel would be convicted and would never hurt anyone again. 

A/N: Thank you for reading. As some of my readers may be aware there is currently an investigation going on in regards to Dahvie Vanity and this chapter is dedicated to the victims. My hope is that Dahvie, like Daniel, is convicted and sentenced to a long time in prison. Please remember there are monsters out there and if you have suffered at the hands of someone like that then please talk to someone.


	9. Afterlife 8

The lower levels of Lucifer's castle were no less beautiful than the upper levels. The floors were flagstone and the walls were painted a rich, deep red. Lemmy and Joan were walking down the hallways, leading to the small cluster of cells that were reserved for prisoners awaiting trial.

"So, did he talk yesterday?" Lemmy asked.

"No, he still won't speak, just sits with his back to me." She huffed.

"He has to talk at some point." Lemmy replied.

They rounded the corner and stopped at the cell. The room Charlie was in was a small glass bubble. Inside was a table, a chair and a plain bed. Charlie was seated on the floor with his back to the two legion leaders. Lemmy sighed and reached up, pressing a panel on the glass wall.

"Charlie, it's your last chance to speak before you're sent to the prison circle." He said, then waited for the inevitable silence that usually accompanied Charlie nowadays.

Gone was the eagerness to learn, replaced with nothing but a blank slate. Charlie could easily speak now the two way intercom had been started, but he sat there.

"Were you coerced? We could help you." Joan leaned forward.

The silence lingered like an unspoken curse. The two legion leaders waited the perfunctory ten minutes to see if the younger demon would talk. They were about to switch off and leave when Charlie shifted slightly. It might have been to get more comfortable.

"I think I will talk," He said, and Lemmy and Joan shared a look. "But not to you two."

Lemmy frowned, leaning towards the intercom again, "To whom would you like to speak?"

"Why, Junko of course." Charlie replied, still not facing them.

"No can do. She's not interrogating you, we are." Lemmy snapped.

"If you feel I'm so dangerous then her team may accompany her, though I do hate them." Charlie said, his voice was still calm.

Lemmy silenced the intercom and glanced at Joan again. She was still staring at Charlie in dismay.

"Penny for your thoughts." She managed a smile.

"Should I give him what he wants?" Lemmy asked, he really needed a strong whiskey.

"Well, he's going to be punished anyway so I don't see why not," Joan replied. "Plus he's in this thing and plus Junko's team won't let him hurt her."

Lemmy ran a hand down his face and groaned. He turned back to the intercom and pressed the button.

"Charlie, we've discussed it." He said, and waited again.

"Have you really? I hope you've made the right decision as I won't be speaking again. I know my Luciferian rights." Charlie hissed.

"We'll bring Junko in to speak to you." Lemmy said, his voice wavered with the struggle of not feeling annoyed by this.

"Her team will be here so no funny stuff." Joan said, sensing Lemmy's aggravation.

"Fair enough. It'll be a fitting goodbye."

********************************

When we got back from the mission I really wanted a shower and to un-goth myself after everything that happened.

"We've had so much success that we may receive a commendation from his Royal Highness." Ariana was saying.

She was tapping at the holographic screen. As someone, who skated the B grade with annoying efficiency, a commendation would be amazing. Although being in front of Lucifer and his wife would be surreal.

"And what do you get with a commendation?" War asked.

"Last time I was here, it was simply that, a commendation." Pestilence replied, sitting down on the grass.

"Seriously? No, gift certificate or award." War said.

We'd all sat down. I glanced round and spotted Lemmy and Joan walking towards us. Their faces were both tight and they looked mildly annoyed. They were getting closer. Had we done something wrong?

"Guys." I said.

War and Pestilence stopped bickering, Famine glanced round too. Death was sat next to me and his gaze followed my own. Ariana had stopped talking too and her face became a questioning mask.

Sure enough, Lemmy and Joan paused in front of us.

"Congratulations are in order I'm sure, but I have a favor to ask." Lemmy said, he sounded so formal.

When none of us offered any reply, Joan took over and looked at each of us. I hadn't seen much of Joan since the rescue mission of Oli and Ryan. Her face was pale and her dark hair made her seem gaunt at this point.

"We have been speaking with Charlie." She said.

"He's still here?" Pestilence asked.

"I thought he was going to the prison circle." Ariana said.

"He is," Joan said. "But, we've been trying to get information from him such as who he's working for because Derek Samuels was no criminal mastermind."

"He wouldn't speak at all until this point." Lemmy said.

"What changed?" Famine asked.

"He had a demand." Lemmy replied.

"He would like to speak to Junko." Joan said, stepping back like she knew the reaction already and had anticipated it.

Silence. I felt my stomach drop and a sick feeling climbed my throat. I didn't want to speak to Charlie. He had killed me, albeit unsuccessfully. I never wanted to speak to him again if I could help it.

"He wants to talk to me." I managed to stutter out.

"Yes." Lemmy replied.

"And I'd be alone?" I asked.

"No, Charlie seemed to not mind you bringing your team." Joan said, her voice tense, but going for light.

"Doesn't he?" Death said.

"Hate you completely? Yes, he really does." Lemmy said.

I guess the decision fell on me. I realised that Lemmy and Joan needed to sort this, put a bow on it and get Charlie on trial.

"Yeah, I guess if he wants to talk then it's ok." I said, at last.

**************************

I had never been in the castle dungeons before. They weren't dungeons , so much as they were a series of glass cells. There were about five all together. The other four were empty. I guessed no one had committed any crimes lately. Lemmy and Joan led us to the centre one.

Charlie was seated on the floor in the centre of his room, legs crossed and back to us. The bed was unmade. I recalled Charlie being of half angel lineage, which meant that he had to sleep, but judging from this, he'd clearly lied.

He didn't move and I wondered if he could hear us. It didn't seem that way. I was still wearing my Hot Topic dress so this would be a strange reunion. Lemmy stepped forward and pressed a button on an intercom. Nothing happened. He glanced at us and motioned for us to speak.

"H-hello, Charlie." I said, feeling stupid for talking at a glass box.

"Well, do my ears deceive me, is that my Junko?" He said, calmly. "And is she here to see me?"

He stood slowly, almost leisurely as if we had all the time in the world. He turned round and his smirk fell away when he noticed my team.

"But, of course, you'd all be here." He said.

"Disappointed?" Death smirked.

Charlie glared at each of them then sighed. He walked towards the glass till he was directly in front of it. His eyes were pitch black now so he had well and truly lied about being half angel.

"I am perpetually disappointed that Junko chooses to associate with you four," Charlie snapped, then glared at Death. "Especially you."

"New idea, we break the glass cage and throw you into the prison circle." Pestilence said.

"You'll love the prison circle, Charlie." Death grinned.

Charlie seemed unnerved by that and stepped back a little. Maybe he was uncertain about whether they could break the glass to get to him. As though sensing his discomfort, War reached forward and flicked the glass. A tiny crack, no bigger than my thumb appeared. Charlie stepped back now.

"Kill me and you'll never know who I'm working for." He grinned.

"I thought it was Derek Samuels." I said.

Charlie laughed at this, but it sounded flat, "No, that fool couldn't even plan his own funeral."

I saw Lemmy and Joan nearby. They'd stepped round the corner, but were leaning forward, poised to hear who this mysterious individual was that hired Charlie.

Then Charlie started speaking, but it wasn't English. It was guttural language that he spoke quickly with an ever-increasing grin spreading across his face. I stared at him as he continued.

Then I glanced round to see if anyone else was understanding this. To my surprise, my team all looked unnerved and so did Lemmy and Joan. Lemmy had even lifted his bracelet and was speaking rapidly into it. Every so often his eyes would flick to Charlie.

Eventually Charlie stopped and bowed, theatrically. I must have been the only one still confused. What was all that? I spoke broken Japanese and a bit of French. I was never very quick on languages. Was it some kind of demon language?

"And now for those of us who don't speak Archaic Sumerian," Charlie grinned. "He who waits behind the door, holding a dead star, commands you and when he commands you must obey."

It was even more confusing when spoken in English. I glanced towards Joan and Lemmy. Joan had gone somewhere.

"And if we don't?" War asked.

"You must. His voice is the voice that commands you." Charlie replied.

"Who is he?" I asked, because everyone else seemed to know.

"Even now his voice speaks to you. Listen to him." Charlie continued.

"We're doing our best to block him out." Famine said.

"Well, when you are reunited there will be no blocking him out." Charlie said, then stepped back further.

He sat down and for a minute he was still smirking. His eyes rolled back in his head and he fell to the floor. His body was wracked with seizures. Lemmy had seen and rushed forward, keying in a code. A glass indent appeared and opened. Charlie was still seizing when Lemmy entered.

Lemmy snatched a pillow from the bed and put it under Charlie's head. The seizing stopped and everything was silent. Then Charlie's eyes flickered open. He glanced at me and my team, then to Lemmy. He looked dazed now.

"Where am I?" He asked. "And who are all of you?"

"Charlie, it's me, Junko." I said.

Charlie frowned and tried to sit up. Lemmy ushered him to lie back down again. Charlie seemed to be thinking.

"I'm sorry I don't know a Junko." He looked genuinely contrite.

"What do you remember?" Lemmy asked.

"I was a student at the academy. I was doing ok then one day everything was a blank. Am I in trouble?" Charlie asked. A clear note of panic edged into his voice.

Lemmy seemed unsure if he was faking it, "Who are they?"

He motioned to my team and Charlie looked past me and his expression went from puzzlement to slight recollection.

"The four horsemen?" Charlie guessed.

Joan walked back in. She stopped when she saw what was going on and a moment of panic swept over her features. Charlie noticed her, but no recollection of her appeared in his eyes.

"I've spoken to His Majesty." She said.

"Charlie here remembers nothing." Lemmy replied.

Joan walked over, squeezing around us and pressing a few buttons on her bracelet. A green scanner swept over Charlie. She waited and information appeared. She read through it and glanced back to Lemmy.

"This kid has been missing for ages. We should have picked up on this." She said.

"So, am I in trouble? My Pa's a lower duke. If I'm in trouble he'll be so mad." Charlie said, his voice broke and I realised he was also a victim in this.

Lemmy ordered everyone out, whilst he escorted Charlie out of the cell and towards the throne room. Charlie didn't look back as he was led away. Joan was till with us. Her entire body was tense and I really wanted to know what that was all about. She offered no answers though.

"I have to go speak to whoever let Charlie in." She said, then started to walk away.

Should I be worried though? Glancing at my team told me I should be. I had no idea any of them spoke another language. I guessed they must do since they were older and demons, and Chris had told me that demons could understand most languages.

"Are we gonna talk about this?" I asked.

***********************

When Death and I got back to our room I still had no answers, but I wasn't going to push it. I sat on the bed and waited. For some reason, changing out of my goth get-up seemed to be unimportant. Death eventually sat next to me.

"So, do I get to know what happened?" I asked.

"That language was Sumerian. It's our father's preferred language when he speaks to us." Death replied.

"I got that part," I said. "Wait, you have a father?"

I mean, everyone had a father so that was understandable. It was the speaking and listening to commands bit that was confusing me.

"He speaks to us." Death said.

"It'd be strange if someone didn't speak to you if they know you and are your father." I was going for light-hearted.

"He always speaks to us."

The reply made me feel sick for some reason and I parted my lips to ask something I knew would freak me out.

"E-even now?" I asked.

"Yes, but he's further away so I can't hear him as well." Death said, his strange eyes locked onto me.

"I'm getting the sense you aren't joking." I said.

"When he speaks, we listen." Death glanced away.

I had never heard him talk like this. It was honestly scaring me beyond words. His eyes went back to me and for the first time I felt like I was being watched by something not even remotely human. He must have noticed the fear in my eyes because his expression changed a little.

"Do you still trust me?" He asked.

"Of course I do." I said, because I did trust him.

He raised a brow and his features became less hostile and more like the demon that I used to know. I sighed and stood up, wanting to shower. Death grabbed my arm and bought me closer so I was in front of him. His hands were on my waist.

"I won't hurt you." He said.

"Can you promise that?" I asked.

"I can always promise that."


	10. Afterlife 9

"Would ear plugs help, maybe?" Tris asked.

She was clutching a packet that she had purchased from a drug store in the human world. I noticed her finger nails were painted purple to match her hair.

"I don't think ear plugs will help." War said.

We'd converged on Lemmy's office, meeting the other legion leaders there. Chris was pacing, whilst Lemmy was seated behind her desk, hands steepled and deep in thought. Eric was by the door, still somewhat uncomfortable around my team. Debbie was seated with Joan on a couch across the way.

"This was not unexpected." Lemmy said, at last breaking the tense silence.

"You knew about this?" Chris had stopped pacing now and was glowering at Lemmy.

"Well, of course we did." Debbie snapped.

Her face was creased into annoyance, possibly at having to be here and also at having to deal with this. My team and I were seated across the way on another couch. My trembling hand was being held by Death.

"There has to be something that can be done." Tris said. She was still holding the earplugs.

Eric had not spoken yet, but was staring at us. His face was a mask of indifference, but his eyes were oddly sympathetic.

"There are two options we have at our availability. Everyone must agree on one." Lemmy said, then sipped his whisky.

Debbie was clearly on the same page as Lemmy as she looked to him. No one said anything so I decided I should at least ask.

"What are the options?" My voice came out as a cracked whisper.

"The first is to perform the Reverto ritual," Lemmy replied. My face must have been clueless. "To send the horsemen back."

A prickly kind of panic set in. My palms suddenly felt very warm and I could feel my eyes burning and I had to fight not to cry.

"The other option is to sever the link between Asmodeus and the horsemen." Debbie interjected quickly.

This was the first time I had heard the name of Lucifer's brother. The one that got nothing. The one who lost his human love to Lucifer. I peeked sideways to see the horsemen's response to their father's name and there was no reaction.

"If you sever the link that might work." I blurted out.

"But father is clearly up to something," Pestilence said, patiently. "If we sever the link then we will not know what his plan is."

This was something I hadn't thought of. Lemmy nodded along, seemingly thinking this through.

"By that logic we have no choice but to send you back," Chris said. "We could send you back and you could relay reports to us from-"

"From the prison circle," Death snapped. "If you had been there then you'd know that going back was never an option."

Defiance flared up in me. Resentment from the night of the party reared its head too. My hands trembled and Lemmy glanced at me, clearly seeing this was upsetting me.

"Severing the link seems the best choice. We value you guys a lot and sending you back would cause more issues. We wouldn't know what your father was doing , but at the same time he wouldn't be able to control you." Lemmy said.

I peeked at Pestilence to see if this was agreeable. He had removed his sunglasses and was thinking. I hadn't thought how painful it would be for them to lose this link.

"This is agreeable. Sever the link, please." Pestilence said, finally.

Glancing at Eric, I saw him nod. He stepped forward now, straightening his shirt.

"I'm a dab hand at rituals, studied them for a while now. I think I could sever the link pretty well." He said, and offered a strained smile.

"Do what you've gotta do." Famine said.

"I would need your blood, an altar and we would need to wait for the next full moon. Severing rituals are tricky and need all those factors." Eric said.

"You can have as much blood as you want." War said.

Eric nodded, then excused himself to begin preparations. Joan got up and left too. Debbie seemed to be thinking now.

"Is it safe for this team to go on missions?" She asked more to herself than to anyone else.

"The further you are from Asmodeus, the less the link holds." Lemmy said.

"International missions would solve that then," She grinned. "I believe that's Joan's area of expertise."

Joan had left, but Debbie pressed a few buttons on her bracelet and started speaking into it. Joan was a little unnerved at first, but seemed agreeable.

"It'll be for two weeks, Joan," Lemmy cut in. "May 7th is the next full moon."

"Yeah, that's cool with me. I'm sure Oli and Ryan won't mind." She replied.

Debbie smiled and this time it was a relieved smile. She said goodbye and looked at me. She must have seen the relief in my eyes.

"Well, I believe that's everything sorted," She stood, dusting off her black dress. "Maybe try the ear plugs to put Junko's mind at ease."

With that she left. War leaned over and took the ear plugs. He offered me a smile. The fear was slowly easing, being replaced by relief.

Lemmy drained his whisky glass. We all left, but I hung back to talk to Chris. I was still somewhat annoyed at him.

"Why'd you suggest that?" I asked.

"Junko, you need to understand that there is a lot at risk if Asmodeus has a link to my father," He said. "Plus I have Gaia to worry about."

"Well, we've sorted it now. They don't deserve to go back to the prison circle anyhow." I replied.

"It's not what they deserve, it's what is safest for everyone. Don't let your feelings blind you." He said.

"Maybe I should have thought of that with you." I snapped, turning and walking away.

I got outside in the lobby. My team were seated near the window seat, waiting for me. I felt the anger slowly drain away.

"You heard that, didn't you?" I asked.

"Yes, we did." Pestilence said.

"Are we gonna pretend it never happened?" I asked.

"Pretend what never happened." War said, smiling.

*****************************

"I'm Oliver, but most people call me Oli," Oli said. He was tall, maybe the same height as Death. His hair was shorter now and pink. "This is Ryan."

Ryan was as I remembered him. Smaller than Oli by a couple of inches and wearing a hat with a feather on the brim. He was grinning now, looking far more relaxed.

"It's been a while." I said.

"Yeah, it has," Oli agreed. "It's nice to meet your team though."

Oli and Ryan were incredibly accepting. They had met us that morning and were scrolling through the mission logs on their bracelets, conversing with each other a little about the missions.

This was kind of exciting though. Going round the world was a definite plus in this situation. We had two weeks to go anywhere.

"Do this one first, then this one second." Oli said, and they moved back from each other.

"First we'll go to Japan," Ryan said. "There's a house there that's haunted and needs cleansing."

"Then to Britain for another haunted house." Oli said.

Japan meant I could see my family. My Aunt Makoto still lived in Maine with her American husband and two kids, but my Mom's sister, Amaya still lived there. She hadn't seen me since I was ten so it would be amazing to see her.

"Japan sounds fun, and hey, Junko's Japanese so she could translate." Famine said.

"I'm actually not fluent." I replied, feeling upset by that.

My parents had started me at Japanese language school when I was nine and I'd been learning the basics, then my parents died a year later and it had all been forgotten when grief took its place. Auntie Makoto spoke Japanese very rarely, only on the phone to a family I hadn't seen a long time, who felt like strangers to me.

All except Auntie Amaya, who had learned English and would talk to me on the phone. We hadn't spoken in a while, but it would be amazing to see her again.

"My parents died and so did my learning of the language." I said.

I wasn't expecting the hug from Famine. It was brief, but kind. I felt him whisper the word 'sorry' into my ear.

"I'm sorry, Junko. That's so sad." Ryan said when Famine had moved back to his original sitting position.

"It's fine. I would like to see my Auntie though if that's ok." I asked.

"Yeah, that's cool. I'll run it by Joan, but she'll be ok with it." Oli replied.

***********************

I wasn't expecting us to set off that day and by the afternoon we had arrived in Tokyo. Culture shock was instant. We'd emerged from an alley way and into the colorful city. Oli and Ryan led the way. Buildings dotted the landscape and the smell of food wafted in the air. My stomach gurgled at the thought of food I hadn't had in years.

"This is amazing." War said.

He wasn't kidding. The streets were full of people. Girls walked by wearing brightly colored fashion.

"This is Shibuya," Ryan said. "Keep up, you guys could get lost in the crowd."

The other three horsemen followed. Death took my hand and we started walking. We hadn't had much alone time recently.

"I was hoping you'd want to meet my family." I said.

"Yeah, I'll go with you." He replied.

"Better be on your best behavior." I said, smiling.

"I'm the perfect gentleman." Death chuckled.

We crossed the busy intersection. I'd seen photo's of it before and knew it was famous, but crossing it was a bit of an endurance test. It was heaving with people. We got to the other side and found the others in front of a cafe.

"This place does amazing cakes." Ryan said. He looked giddy with excitement.

"Here's the plan," Oli said. "The house we want is two train journeys away in a quiet neighborhood. We won't be going until dusk so this gives us time to do whatever we want. Junko, you could go see your aunt."

This was the moment. Auntie Ayama lived in Fuchu. We split from the others and headed to Shibuya station. It was as busy as the streets.

"We get off at Meidaimae, then go to the other platform and travel to Fuchu." I said.

"I know. You've repeated it about three times now." Death said.

He didn't seem annoyed and kept a hold of my hand, eventually deciding to stand behind me, wrapping his arms round my waist as we waited. My face heated up at the proximity, but I smiled. The train arrived and we followed the crowd onto it.

The journey to Meidaimae took about ten minutes with one stop between. We got off at Meidaimae and crossed the platform to wait for the train to Fuchu. It wasn't as busy and we sat on the seats. The journey took about twenty minutes. We departed and I knew I'd remember the way to her home. We walked past the park and followed the road down.

My auntie's home was a modest two bedroom house. My cousin, Hina lived with her and attended college in Tokyo. My auntie had lost my uncle several years back. We stopped at the gate and I pressed the button on the speaker and waited. Just when I thought no one would answer, the speaker buzzed to life.

My auntie spoke fluent Japanese and sounded aggravated so I quickly cut her off before she could continue.

"Aya-Oba, it's me, Junko."

There was a pause and I glanced at Death. He looked at me and clasped my hand to steady my trembling fingers.

The door suddenly flew open and Auntie Ayama was on the porch step. Her mouth was open in shock and her eyes were watering. She rushed forward. She was wearing a pair of paint stained dungarees. The gate opened and she hugged me.

"My sweet girl," She sobbed. "Come in, come in."

She ushered us inside. Shoes off, we followed her into the kitchen. She motioned for us to sit down and still seemed shocked. Her eyes then went to Death and a smirk appeared on her face.

"And who is this, baby Junko?" She asked.

A blank spot appeared in my mind. I couldn't tell her what Death's name was. As far as she would be concerned, who would name their kid Death? Outside of Soul Eater, it wasn't common. Death stood up and bowed a little.

"It's nice to meet you. I'm Dave." He said.

Auntie Ayama looked from me to Death, "Polite, I'm assuming you two are together."

"Y-yes." I mumbled.

Auntie Ayama smiled widely. Death sat back next to me and caught my eye. His lips twitched into a smirk.

"You'll both have to stay for dinner. Hina will be so happy to see you. How long are you here?" Auntie Ayama fired at me.

"Dinner sounds nice. I think we're here for a week." I replied.

A week was usually how long they gave haunted houses. A couple of days to stake the place out, a couple of days to deal with the ghost and a few more days to make sure everything was ok.

"Excellent, shame you won't be here for the start of Golden Week, but ah well," Auntie Ayama said. "We can still go to the shrine and maybe go out for a meal with your cousin to celebrate."

She bustled around, making us tea and fetching cake. She sat with us and chatted away, asking Death questions and laughing when he was sarcastic. Auntie Ayama had always been full of humor. Death got up at one point to go for a cigarette, leaving me with my Auntie. She was grinning at me like the Cheshire Cat.

"He's a bit of a looker," She said. "And funny too."

"Yeah, he's amazing." I replied, blushing.

"My baby Junko is in love." She laughed, and patted my knee.

Auntie Ayama then insisted we really would have to stay for dinner. When she vanished to phone my cousin, who would be on her way back from college, I contacted Oli. He and the others were still exploring Shibuya and would be booking into a hotel.

"Stay with your family," Oli said. "We can go to the house tomorrow, there's no rush."

Auntie Ayama appeared just as I hung up.


	11. Afterlife 10

Afterlife 10

“And this is Junko at,” Auntie Amaya paused to think. “I’m going to say age 6.” 

I faintly wondered if you could die of embarrassment because I certainly felt like I could. Auntie Amaya had made tea and then pulled out a photo album. It was like it had appeared out of nowhere and she’d pulled it out of a vortex of embarrassing moments. Death was leaning to the side to look at the photos. I had leaned over too, but seeing the photos of myself was a little much. 

“This is her when I changed her diaper for the first time.” Auntie Amaya laughed.

My face burned and I glared at Death. His lips were quirked up in a smirk and I wanted to die or for the ground to open up and swallow me. 

“Don’t be embarrassed, baby Junko. Everyone was little at one point.” Auntie Amaya cackled.

She drained her cup and then disappeared to grab another one. Death turned to face me and I glared at him.

“Quit enjoying my discomfort.” I whisper-yelled.

“Hey, it’s not my fault she has baby photos of you.” He chuckled.

“No, but you could tell her you don’t wanna see them.” I replied.

“I could,” He agreed. “But seeing you squirm is funny.”

I went to elbow him, but he grabbed my arm and pulled me closer. Our noses were nearly touching and my face heated up a little more. All the stuff we’d done together rushed into my brain. 

Auntie Amaya reappeared at the kitchen door, grinning like the cheshire cat again. She sat down and was about to say something when the front door opened and closed. A girl walked past the door. Her hair was long and straight and she was wearing a school uniform. It was plain grey with a white blouse. Hina. I hadn’t seen her in years and here she was. 

She stopped and glanced at Death and I, then her eyes went to her mother. 

“Hina, say hello to your cousin.” Aunt Amaya said.

Hina mumbled out a very quiet hello, then rushed past the door and up the stairs. Her footsteps echoed on the ceiling and a door slammed above us. 

“Sorry about that.” Auntie Amaya said.

She got up and walked up the stairs. I heard her knock on Hina’s door then enter. Death and I shared a look. The door opened and hurried footsteps came down the stairs. Hina walked into the lounge and said hello again. She sat down opposite us and fiddled with her hands. She had changed out of her uniform and was wearing a sweater and a pair of jeans. 

“Hi, Hina, it’s nice to see you after so long.” I smiled.

Hina nodded and looked around the room, avoiding looking at us. My eyes went to her wrists. There were a few bruises on her pale skin. My eyes went back to her face and Hina must have seen because she pulled her sweater sleeves down. 

When Auntie Amaya began her descent down the stairs, Hina stood and marched to the door. I heard her slip on her trainers and leave. I heard Auntie Amaya rush to the door and open it. 

“Hina!” She called.

She walked back into the lounge and sighed, “Wait till her dad gets home.” 

“Where’d she go?” I asked.

“I don’t know and she won’t tell me, but I worry so much.” 

I glanced past my auntie at the hallway where Hina had once been. I checked my bracelet and discovered it was just past five. The sky outside the bay window was turning purple as the sun began to set. We still had to go to the house with the others, but it seemed like a bad time to leave my auntie. 

“We should get going.” I said, and Auntie Amaya nodded,

“If we see her on the way to the train station we can give you a call.” Death said.

This seemed to settle Auntie Amaya’s nerves and she managed a weak smile. All the joy had been sapped out of her. It felt like such a shame to leave on such a sad note, but then she grinned again.

“When you two get married don’t forget to drop your favourite Auntie an invite.” She laughed again, and I prayed she wouldn’t continue.

“Haha, very funny.” I said, cheeks heating up again.  
“It was deadly serious when you were a kid, about this tall,” She motioned to just above her knee. “You wanted to be in a big, fancy dress like Cinderella. Is she still your favourite princess?”

I buried my face in my hands. I could feel Death looking at me and knew he was enjoying my embarrassment. We left and started walking down the street. Auntie Amaya waved. Meanwhile I was still hoping the ground would swallow me. We got about halfway down the street and I finally managed to look at Death.

“A wedding like that seems pretty lofty,” He smirked. “Maybe I was right to call you princess in the beginning.”

“Shut up please.” I begged. 

He pulled me closer and laughed. I couldn’t help but giggle a little too. My bracelet vibrated, signalling an incoming call. Death let me go and I answered. Ryan was on the other end and he sounded a little worried that I hadn’t answered straight away. 

“You guys ok?” He asked.

“Ryan, quit panicking.” Oli said from the background. 

“Sorry,” Ryan mumbled, more to Oli than to us. “Are you guys up for exploring the house tonight?”

“Sure, why not.” I replied.

“Give me your arm, Ry.” Oli snapped.

I could hear a visible struggle and laughter that sounded like War in the background. What in the heck was going on?

“Hello, it’s Oli,” Oli’s tone was breezy, like he hadn’t just wrestled Ryan. “Ryan gets a bit antsy about missions and likes to rush. We can explore the house tomorrow.” 

Ryan once again protested in the background. 

“I must admit I agree somewhat with Ryan. There were rumours that teenagers have been going into the house and going missing.” Pestilence said. He sounded like he was right next to Oli.

“Ow, War let go of my other arm.” Ryan yelped.

“Spoilsport.” I heard War’s laughter.   
Oli laughed too, Pestilence seemed to realise that he was in charge of the phone call now. He sighed and apologised to Ryan.

“My apologies as well for this call. Oli and War over did it on the sake when we went into a nearby bar.” He sighed again.

I could vaguely hear Oli and War singing in the background. I wondered if Famine was ok then heard him laugh too. Ryan seemed to also realise that he was free to talk now, 

“To be honest maybe I was a little over ambitious,” Ryan said, “I don’t think we’ll be exploring anywhere tonight.” 

They both said goodbye with Ryan sending us the details of the hotel we were staying at. Once they were gone, Death and I made our way back to the train station and made the journey back to Shibuya. 

The hotel was a five minute walk from the station and we were met by Ryan. He was waiting outside and the temperature had dropped by this point, but Ryan didn’t seem to feel the cold. He smiled when we approached,

“You two ok?” He asked.

“Yeah, it was nice seeing my auntie.” I replied.

We followed Ryan into the hotel and he handed Death the hotel key. We seemed to be staying on the same floor. Ryan went into the first room nearest the elevator. He paused in the doorway.

“You guys are just down the hall,” He said, then bit his lip. “I like being near an exit, just in case something bad happens.” 

Death and I exchanged a glance and Ryan smiled then. He wished us good night and ducked into his room, shutting the door very quietly. Death took my hand and we walked down the hallway until we got to our room and unlocked it. 

The room was immaculate and the window presented a panoramic view of Tokyo. Of all the views I’d seen, this was probably the best one. I jumped when Death hugged me. His arms wrapped around my waist and I smiled. 

We stayed like that until my stomach growled. We had had some cake with my aunt, but that had been hours ago. 

“There’s a restaurant downstairs.” Death said.

“Sounds good.” I replied.   
I wanted this to be a date. A proper one. Like usual clothes were in the cupboard ready. It was something that amazed me about The Netherworld. Being able to move things preemptively. I grabbed a dress and rushed into the bathroom. Tonight would be perfect.


	12. Afterlife 11

Standing in a hotel bathroom, staring into the mirror was making me nervous. Why was I so nervous? Tonight would be just like any other night. A small part of my mind was wondering if tonight would be any different and that part of me really wanted things to change. I realised I’d been staring into space for about ten minutes and got dressed. The dress I had chosen was pale blue. The top was covered in fine lace with sewn on flowers. I slipped on my blue kitten heels and actually felt more grown up than I ever had. 

To prove that this night was different I’d worn a lacy bra and underwear. Unfortunately, lacy underwear was not my kind of thing and as I was leaving the bathroom I had to un-wedgie myself and curse my own stupidity. Other girls did this all the time. They dressed beautifully and wore things for their boyfriends’. Once I’d managed to sort that issue out I opened the bathroom door and entered the bedroom. Death was sitting on the edge of the bed. When he stood up I realised he was wearing a black shirt and trousers. His hair was tied back and I couldn't think of anything to say. Eventually my mind caught up to me.

“Wow, you look so handsome.” I smiled.

“So, I don’t look handsome all the time.” He replied.

“Quit being a jerk.” I said, trying my best to sound grumpy.

“You love it.” He said, walking towards me. 

His arms encircled my waist and I draped my arms round his shoulders. Our eyes met and I was the first to look away. My nerves were going haywire. I was a little disappointed when he pulled away and took my hand instead. We left the hotel room and went downstairs in the elevator. 

The restaurant was beautiful and at this time of day, there were candles lit. It made everything look so pretty. This was probably and would forever be the most fanciest place I’d ever have dinner. We were shown to our table and ordered drinks. I suddenly remembered why tonight felt so special. It was exactly six months to the day we’d first met. 

“We met six months ago today.” I smiled. 

“Because of course you’d remember something like that.” He replied, leaning forward slightly. 

“I didn’t think we’d end up like this mostly because you kept being mean to me.” I said, and his lips quirked like he’d found what I said amusing.   
“I was never mean to you,” He grinned. “I teased you because you teased me with how you looked and the way you looked at me.” 

His pupils dilated and those strange eyes became darker and I squirmed a little in my seat. Death leaned his chin on his hands and his gaze met mine. I took a steadying breath. 

“S-stop being crude. We’re in a public place.” I mumbled. It was a feeble excuse. No one was seated near us. No one could hear us. 

I thought I had secured a victory. The waitress appeared and took our orders. She left again and my nerves caught up with me a little. Dinner was quiet after we got our food. I was too nervous to say much. We paid and left and I realised it wasn’t just nerves coiling in my stomach. It was anticipation. 

As soon as the door was closed behind us, Death advanced towards me and I was pinned beneath the door and his body as our lips met. The kiss was fierce and sent little electric currents through my body. Our tongues met and I whimpered into the kiss. Death’s hands slid down my hips and under my legs, lifting me and pinning me to the door. I could feel him pressed against me and I wriggled my hips, trying to gain some friction. 

His lips left mine and trailed down my neck, leaving an electric path of bites and kisses. With my lips free, I whined and my head leaned to the side to better accommodate. My whines turned into a disappointed huff when he let me go. Was this where it stopped tonight? I wanted to cry. Death sat on the bed and his eyes met mine. His gaze was hooded and it made a thousand little shivers trace down my spine. 

“I want you to take your dress off before I tear it off.” He growled.

The shivers intensified and I went to try and take my dress off without unzipping it. My cheeks heated up. 

“C-can you unzip it for me, please?” I said, my voice came out as a hoarse squeak.

He beckoned me over and I cautiously walked towards him, turning so he could unzip my dress. As he unzipped the dress, I felt his fingers on my back. It was a light touch, designed to heighten my anticipation and it worked. I leaned slightly and gripped the bottom of the dress, pulling it up and over my head. My heart was pounding an incessant rhythm and I turned around to face him. His eyes grazed my body and I almost tried to cover myself. 

“I-i got new underwear.” I blurted out, yeah real sexy Junko, I wanted to cry again as my cheeks heated up. 

Death pulled me closer and I avoided his gaze. His lips touched my collarbone and travelled up towards the sensitive skin near my ear. I felt him press kisses until he bit my earlobe and I whimpered. 

“I like it. I like what’s underneath more.” His voice was deeper, slightly more husky. 

I managed a smile and turned my head to look at him. He took the opportunity to kiss me again and I pressed myself closer to him, enjoying how the kiss deepened. My hands tangled in his hair. I had forgotten it was tied back until he broke the kiss to untie his hair. His hands touched mine and pulled them towards the buttons on his shirt.

“Since I helped you, why don’t you help me.” He said.

I nodded and started to undo the buttons on his shirt. Once they were all undone, he pulled me closer and kissed me again. My hands trailed, curiously, from his shoulders down his chest. One hand gripped my hip and motioned for me to straddle him. The kiss grew more fervent. I felt Death’s hand ghost down the small of my back and down in between my legs. His fingers found the wetness in my lingerie. Our lips separated as he traced his fingers over the lingerie, finding areas that made me moan and press against his fingers, seeking all the friction I could get.

“P-please.” I begged. 

“So wet already.” He said, pressing down a bit more with his fingers. 

My body trembled and he stopped. Something had been building, but it stopped and I whined. I was desperate for that feeling again. 

“Why’d you stop?” I whimpered,

“We’ve barely started.” He said, his voice near my ear. 

The hand that had been on my underwear slid back up my back and he undid my bra. It slid down my arms and he removed it, throwing it aside. I wanted to cover myself. I was terrified he’d think that I was too small. Our lips met again and our skin touched. My own warm skin against his cold skin made my body shudder. 

His lips left mine and shifted me so I was on the bed. He came to lie next to me and our lips reconnected. He was on top of me and my legs tangled round his, feeling the material of his trousers. My moans were caught in the kiss as he rolled his hips into me, letting me feel how aroused he was. My own body reacted and met his. His lips left mine and moved down my collarbone towards my breasts. His mouth latched onto a nipple and sucked. His tongue traced round it, making me sob with pleasure, 

Just as I was starting to enjoy it, he left that breast and went to the other, giving it the same treatment. My back arched, letting him know I was enjoying it. Those lips traced down my stomach until he got to the waistband of my underwear. I thought he might continue. His eyes flicked to meet my own.Those strange eyes were like two heated pools and the look he was giving me made my whole body shudder. I wanted him to keep going, to never stop. 

Death moved back and I thought that would be the end of it until he unbuttoned his trousers and slid them and his boxers down. My eyes followed their descent. He was very aroused and it made my nerves come back with vengeance. This was really happening. We were really going to do this. Once the trousers and boxers were gone, he was back on me, pulling my underwear down in a rough movement. His mouth was on me and I cried out as his tongue traced along that area. 

He pulled back, but only to slide his fingers into me, then his mouth was back on me. The feeling was building up again. It wouldn’t stop. The pleasure was all encompassing and my moans echoed around the room. I fidgeted, trying to secure more of that feeling. Death stopped again, pulling away and my moans turned into a sob as the feeling retreated again. 

“Y-you stopped, that’s so unfair,” I sobbed. 

Death’s lips quirked into that trademark smirk. He looked so arrogant and pleased with what he was doing to me and it served to make the ache in me increase. He slid up so our faces were level and he was pressed against me, skin on skin. 

“You cum when I say so.” He growled into my ear. 

I could only nod in defeat. He moved back and reached to grab something from the bedside table. I realised it was a condom and the feeling that this was really happening came back and if I’d have been standing, my knees would have buckled. I watched him open the foil and slide it on. That would be going inside me. He was quite big. It made sense that that area would be proportionate with his height. Once the condom was on, he lay back on top of me. 

This time when his eyes met mine, he looked sincere. It would feel uncomfortable to begin with. I knew it would. I felt the tip of him slide into me and my eyes met his.

“Tell me to stop if it hurts or you feel uncomfortable.” He said, pausing to let me decide.

“And you’ll promise to stop.” I whispered.

“It’s not good unless we’re both enjoying it, Junko.” He replied. 

I smiled and nodded. He pressed closer and slid in deeper. I winced a little as it didn’t hurt, but felt uncomfortable and I took a few steadying breaths. He filled me completely and stopped, giving me time to get used to it.   
“Y-you can move. I’ll be ok.” I murmured,

Our eyes met and Death moved his hips. He pulled out and rolled them forwards. The feeling of discomfort was slowly going. With each thrust, my body started to get used to it. I started to lift my hips up to meet each thrust. The friction was intense and I wanted more. My body arched. Death groaned and his hand gripped my leg, forcing me to wrap it round his hip, pressing us closer and allowing him thrust deeper. 

“P-please don’t stop.” I begged. 

The answering smirk made me realise he wasn’t going to stop. His thrusts were slightly rougher now and I arched up to meet his punishing pace. His lips grazed my neck, biting and sucking the sensitive skin. 

“So fuckin’ tight.” He snarled into my ear.

My body responded to those words and I moaned. His mouth travelled down and latched onto one of my breasts. His tongue bathed the nipple and I cried out at the combination of his mouth on me and his thrusts. His lips left my breast and he kissed me, forcefully. My moans were swallowed into his mouth. The hand on my leg tightened and he pulled back to watch me. He seemed to be enjoying how much pleasure I was in. That feeling began to build again. I was seriously hoping he wouldn’t stop. He didn’t stop. 

The feeling built with each thrust, with each movement, with each time his mouth travelled down my body to tease my breasts. Before I could even think, I was pushed over the edge as that feeling enveloped my body and I cried out. My body felt like it was floating. Death kept up the pace, letting me ride it out. His thrusts started to become quicker and he kissed me again. 

I felt him release into the condom. Our lips parted and he lay down next to me. My body was still on a high. I vaguely registered Death getting up to get rid of the condom. He lay back down again and pulled me towards him. I suddenly felt embarrassed to be lying on the bed with no clothes on, 

“I love you.” I whispered.

“I love you too.” He replied, running his hand through my hair.

I wanted to stay like this forever. Just me and him like this. I pressed myself closer and let sleep take over. I would remember this night forever and I smiled as I felt Death press a kiss to my forehead.


End file.
